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THE PEBR it - T.72. 



Louvre. 
VENUS DE MILO 



RECENT GLIMPSES 
IN EUROPE 



Notes of a Summer Visit to England, France, Switzerland, 

Germany and Belgium, Including Passion 

Play at Oberammergau 



Superintendent Jacob A. Shawan, Ph. D 

of the Columbus, Ohio, Public Schools 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY 

president w. O. Thompson, d. d. 

of the Ohio State University 



ILLUSTRATED 



' . » , • 



> i » > ■> , > 



COLUMBUS, OHIO 

S. F. HARRIMAN, PUBLISHER 
1902 






TWP l ;»HASY OF 
Two Copies Received 

DEC, 21 '901 
fttv.xy. ><?ot 

class tt- XXo. No. 
2*777 

C OfT 3, _ 



To the children of Columbus whose cordial good 
will is ever appreciated and whose interest in history, 
geography, and travel is earnestly desired, this little 
volume is affectionately dedicated by 

The Author. 



PREFACE. 

LIKE most books of this kind, this little volume has been a 
development. It began with a number of letters and postal 
cards written home to my own boys while on a vacation 
tour through England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Ger- 
many, and Belgium during the summer of 1900. 

Some of these published in an evening paper, led the editor of 
the " Ohio State Journal Junior," a children's paper, to ask for 
the entire series. This request was granted, but it was soon dis- 
covered that the original letters would need to be carefully revised 
and expanded for a larger field of readers. In preparing them for 
that purpose, they were arranged under the heads of the different 
countries visited, and the best authorities consulted to make them 
reliable as far as they go. Since their publication as above, a 
great many requests have been made to have them put into per- 
manent form and it is in response to these requests that the present 
volume appears. The letters have been still further extended and 
modified as they now appear, and it is believed that the facts stated 
are in accord with the latest and best authorities. We have re- 
tained the familiar language of the letter believing that in this form 
we are able to speak more directly to our readers. 

In revising and verifying statements I am glad to acknowledge 
the assistance gained from a number of the best histories, geogra- 
phies, and guide books, but more especially from Stedman's "Com- 
plete Pocket Guide to Europe," a constant companion ; from 
Houghton and Mifflin's " Satchel Guide to Europe," my regular 
room-mate; and from "Stoddard's Lectures," which were care- 
fully read before going and after returning. No one contemplat- 
ing a visit to Europe should fail to read these lectures before mak- 
ing such a trip. They are full, reliable, interesting, and instructive, 
and are most heartily recommended. 

For the beautiful pictures used in illustration, I am under obli- 
gations to The Perry Pictures Co., of Maiden, Massachusetts, which 
has done so much to bring the best in art within the reach of every 
home. I am pleased to acknowledge my indebtedness to Miss Mary 
Gale, teacher in the Front Street school, Columbus, for the taste- 
ful and very appropriate design used on the cover. 




s 



INTRODUCTION. 

NEXT to the pleasure of visiting new scenes is the 
privilege of reading the experience of another 
whose well-informed mind interprets what the eye 
can see. Historic places never lose their interest or their 
charm to one who loves his country or his race. More than 
we appreciate, knowledge of other countries, their customs, 
their people, and their history will lead us to an increased 
love of our own. This is not because our country and our 
people are better or worse than other countries and other 
people, but because increasing intelligence drives out preju- 
dice and opens the way for us to see both our neighbors and 
ourselves in clearer light. The fact that our youthful 
country has no hoary traditions lends an ever increasing in- 
terest to the scenes in that once far off but now neighborly 
continent concerning which this volume tells a charming 
story. 

America will never have any ancient history; nor any 
old institutions. It looks as if everything here was to re- 
main young and vigorous. The older world will always 
remain an object of deepest interest to us. The student 
will always find an abiding interest and enthusiasm in 
studying the source from which has sprung our American 
life, institutions, and civilization. Each new visitor brings 
us a new story of the older world so rich in history, tradition, 
and scenes of interest. To the boys and girls of Columbus, 
who know the author of this book, its pages will have an 



INTRODUCTION. 



added charm because of that acquaintance. To other boys 
and girls in Ohio, the book will bring a picture of the 
European continent that will add interest to every lesson 
of history and geography in the school. 

These letters will interest many others. The children 
and youth in our public schools may claim them as theirs, 
but older heads will insist on a division of pleasure. The 
experiences have been delightfully told, and I doubt not the 
perusal of them will inspire many boys and girls with a de- 
sire to know more of the world in which they live. 



yr^7 




Ohio State University, 

November, 1901. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
LETTER I. 

THE VOYAGE. PAGES. 

Value of Travel. Departure from New York. The " Com- 
mencement Day " of an Ocean Steamer. Disappearance 
of Land. A Ship alone on the Ocean. The Vessel. 
Natural History. How the Time at Sea is Spent. Longi- 
tude and Time. Land Sighted. Plymouth and the pil- 
grims 1-20 

LETTER II. 

EX GLAND. 

Greater London. Plymouth. Plymouth to London. The 
Cars. Places of Interest en route. How to See Lon- 
don. A Ride on Top of an Omnibus. The British 
Museum. National Art Gallery. Westminster Abbey. 
The Tower. London Bridge. Houses of Parliament. 
Crystal Palace. Stratford on Avon. Oxford. The 
Thames. Greenwich 21-33 

LETTER III. 

FRANCE. 

Crossing the Channel. Dieppe. The Valley of the Seine. 
Paris as Seen from the Eiffel Tower. A Carriage Drive 
Through Paris. The " Place de la Concorde." The 
Madeleine. The " Place de la Bastile." The Celebration 
of the 14th of July. A Military Review. The Louvre. 
A Visit to Versailles. The Paris Exposition. Boats on 
the Seine. Growth of Paris 34-50 

LETTER IV. 

CROSSING THE ALPS. 

The Jura Mountains. Lausanne. Lake Geneva. Over the 
Alps. Mt. Cenis Tunnel. Custom Houses. Turin. 
Genoa. " Campo Santo." Marble Palaces 51-57 



Xll TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

LETTER V. 

ROME. PAGES. 

Night Ride from Genoa to Rome. Entrance into the " Eter- 
nal City." The " Seven Hills of Rome." Santa Maria 
Maggiore. Forum of Trajan. The Pantheon. Pincian 
Hill. The Collosseum 58-66 

LETTER VI. 

ROME CONTINUED. 

The Colosseum. Hadrian's Tomb. St. Peter's. The Vati- 
can. The Roman Forum. The Palaces of the Csesars. 
The Arches of Triumph : — Septimius Serverus, Titus 
and Constantine. The Old Prison. " Quo Vadis." 
" St. Paul's Outside the Walls." Capitoline Hill. 
Final View from Janiculum Hill , 67-86 

LETTER VII. 

FLORENCE, POMPEII, AND NAPLES. 

Journey to Naples. Capua. Mt. Vesuvius. Herculaneum and 
Pompeii. What the Excavations Show. Up the Valley 
of the Tiber, by Lake Trasimenus and Down the Arno to 
Florence. The Cathedral of Florence. Bell Tower and 
Baptistery. The Great Men of Florence. The Art Galler- 
ies. Florence and the Arno. A Drive Through Florence. 
Statue of David. Cities of the Dead 87-100 

LETTER VIII. 

VENICE. 

Assassination of Humbert II., of Italy. Crossing the Apen- 
nines. Pistoja. Bologna. Padua. The Long Bridge. 
Venice. St. Mark's Square. The Pigeons. Bell Tower 
The Bronze Horses. St. Mark's Columns of St. Theo- 
dore and the Winged Lion. The Rialto. Shylock's 
House. Home of Desdemona. Grand Canal. Sea 
Bathing at Lido 6 101-115 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. Xlll 

LETTER IX. 

NORTHERN ITALY. PAGES. 

A Trip Across the Plains of Lombardy. Verona. Milan. 
History of Milan. Italian Ministers. Monza. St. 
Ambrogio. Santa Maria Delia Grazie — Picture of the 
" Last Supper." The Cathedral of Milan. On the Roof 
Among the Pinnacles and Marble Statues. View from the 
Cathedral Spire. " The Builders." 116-129 

LETTER X. 

SWITZERLAND. 

The Trip from Milan to Lucerne. The Italian Lakes. Bell- 
inzona. Wild Bits of Scenery. Spiral Tunnels. St. 
Gothard Tunnel. Fluelen. Lake of Four Cantons. 
The Axenstrasse. William Tell's Chapel. The Swiss 
People. Lucerne. Lion of Lucerne. Arnold von Winkel- 
ried. Across the Brunig Pass. Height of the Alps as 
Compared with the Rocky Mountains. Interlaken. 
Jungfrau and Its Monster Companions. A Story of the 
Mer de Glace. Grindelwald. Jungfrau as Seen from a 
Distance 130-146 

LETTER XL 

GERMANY. 

Return to Lucerne. Simplicity of Swiss Life. Zurich. Lake 
Constance. Lindau. German Farm Houses. German 
Life. Munich. The Map of Germany. Royal Palace. 
Galleries. The Glyptothek 147-154 

LETTER XII. 

OBERAMMERGAU. 

Munich to Oberammergau. Bavarian Alps. Village Accom- 
modations. The Villagers. Origin of the Passion Play. 
Secret of the Skill of the Players. The Auditorium. 
The Play. The Characters. The Tableaus — Imitations 
for the Most Part of Great Masterpieces. The Marble 
Group on the Hill Side. The " Shepherd Boy and the 
Chapel." The Last Glimpse of the Kofel 155-168 



XIV TABIvK OF CONTENTS. 

LETTER XIII. 

GERMANY AGAIN. PAGES. 

Munich to Dresden. Crossing the Danube. Saxon Swit- 
zerland. Happy Goosedom. The Wind Pumps. Dres- 
den. Royal Palace of Saxony. The Finest Gallery 
North of the Alps. Sistine Madonna. A Drive 
Through Dresden. A Clean and Beautiful City. On the 
Way to Berlin. Greater Berlin. " Unter den Linden." 
Frederick Strasse. Thier Garten. Millitary Spirit of 
Berlin. Victory Monument. Victory Avenue. The 
Historic Windmill. Tomb of Frederick the Great 169-182 

LETTER XIV. 

GERMANY — CONTINUED. 

Departure of Graf Waldersee to take command of the Allied 
Armies in China. From Berlin to Frankfort on the 
Main. The Land of Martin Luther. Wartburg. Saxe- 
Coburg. The Federation of the Free Cities under the 
Empire. Frankfort on the Main. Growth of the Ger- 
man Empire. Heidelberg. The Castle. Mannheim. 
Mayence. ''Fair Bingen on the Rhine." An Interesting 
Ride in a Row Boat. The Mouse Tower. The Watch 
on the Rhine 183-198 

LETTER XV. 

THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 

Down the Rhine to Cologne. The Vine Clad Hills. Cob- 
lence. Ehrenbreitstein. Cologne. The Cathedral of 
lentz. Ehrenbreitstein. Cologne. The Cathedral of 
Cologne. Aix-la-Chapelle. Brussels. Waterloo. Ant- 
werp. A Climb to the top of the Cathedral Spire. Bird's 
Eye View of Antwerp and the Scheldt. Ghent. Lille. 
Roubaix. Calais. Boulogne 199-220 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 

1. Frontispiece Venus de Milo 

2. Tower of London Opposite Page 4 

3. Houses of Parliament " " 18 

4. Windsor Castle " " 24 

5. Westminster Abbey 28 

6. Madeleine, Paris " " 38 

7. Notre Dame, Paris " " 48 

8. Colosseum , Rome 62 

9. Bridge and Castle of St. Angelo with St. 

Peter's " " 68 

10. St. Peter's, Rome " " 72 

11. Forum, Rome " " 76 

12. Arch of Constantine " " 80 

13. Naples, Italy " " 84 

14. Panorama of Pompeii " 88 

15. Cathedral and Campanile of Florence . " " 94 

16. Grand Canal with Cavalli Palace, " " 

Venice " " 104 

17. Church and Campanile, Venice " " 110 

18. Milan Cathedral " " 118 

19. Interior of Milan Cathedral " 124 

20. William Tell Chapel " " 134 

21. Jungfrau, Switzerland " " 144 

22. Lion of Lucerne, Switzerland " 176 

23. Heidelberg Castle, Germany " " 188 

24. Cologne Cathedral " " 206 



LETTER I 



THE VOYAGE. 



Value of Travel. Departure from New York. The " Commencement Day " 
of an Ocean Steamer. Disappearance of Land. A Ship Alone on the 
Ocean. The Vessel. Natural History. How the Time at Sea is Spent. 
Longitude and Time. Land Sighted. Plymouth and the Pilgrims. 

Off the Lizard, 
South Coast of England, July 3. 

DEAR CHILDREN : — As our steamer will run into 
the old seaport of Plymouth, on the south coast 
of England, in a few hours, I must date and 
close this letter so that it may reach you by the first 
boat for America. After being on board for a few days, 
with nothing to do but sleep and rest, writing letters to 
distant friends becomes a pleasant pastime. 

The world is not so large as it used to seem to be, and 
he who wishes to see it may do so. The wonderful improve- 
ments that have been going on in the building of ships and 
construction of railways have brought the remotest parts of 
the earth within easy reach of civilized man. The mystery 
that once surrounded all unexplored regions filled the imag- 
inations of men with all sorts of false notions about our 
grand old round earth. The Quest of the Golden Fleece, 
the Adventures of Ulysses, and the Wanderings of Aeneas 
left impressions in the minds of the Greeks and Romans that 
have been recorded in stories of dragons and other monsters 
that were supposed to infest the shores of the distant seas. 
Boys and girls love to read these stories because they fur- 
nish food for the imagination. Geography and travel have 



2 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE, 

corrected these impressions, but the charming mythological 
associations will remain as delicious seasoning ever to be 
appreciated and enjoyed. Happy is the parent or teacher 
who, at the time when the child is hungry for story and 
fancy, has a mind well stored with geographical knowledge 
and is able to feed and properly develop this wonderful 
power of the human mind — the imagination. 

Nothing so broadens the mind of the individual as 
travel. Those nations that have carried on trade with the 
remote parts of the world enjoy the highest degree of 
civilization to-day. In fact, commercial intercourse means 
civilization. It is true now, it always has been true, and it 
ever will be true. The large number of bays and inlets that 
are found on the coasts of Europe has had more to do with 
its present day advancement than any other natural cause. 
The people have been able to mingle with and to under- 
stand each other. This has created mutual respect and 
esteem, and thus savage barbarism has gradually given 
place to human brotherhood. 

Why does the Thames interest us more than the Yangste 
Kiang? Or the Potomac have a greater charm than the 
Arkansas ? The Amazon is a hundred times as large as the 
Rhine or the Tiber, and yet who would not far prefer the 
yellow Tiber or the plunging Rhine to the great South Amer- 
ican river? Why the difference? Those rivers that have 
been the scenes of man's activity and associations have 
given them a kind of life and fellowship with man which 
ordinary streams do not possess. For that reason the Nile, 
the Euphrates, and the Jordan infatuate and draw the inter- 



THE VOYAGE. 6 

ested students of history to their storied banks and pour out 
facts and traditions that hold them enchanted for days and 
weeks, and even months. They are among the finest speci- 
mens in the world's historical museum. Standing upon spots 
made famous by their connection with past centuries, one 
understands the meaning of history, and, as it were, lives 
it over again and sees it for himself. 

So the first glimpse of the old world is a scene never 
to be forgotten ; a picture laid away in the mind to be brought 
back by memory with increasing clearness and beauty. The 
riches of memory, it has been said, are far more precious than 
the wealth of a Croesus. The latter may easily be lost. 
while the former will remain as long as reason retains the 
throne. Says Stoddard in his famous lectures : "The world 
is an open book whose author is Almighty God, and on the 
pages of which have been written, more or less distinctly, 
stories of the various races of humanity/' One who would 
read this book aright must travel. To stand by the rivers, 
to look upon the mountains, to walk through the cities made 
famous by the actions of the human race, is to realize his- 
tory; just as standing by the tomb of George Washington, 
looking upon the scenes of his home life at Mount Vernon, 
or viewing the city which perpetuates his name from the 
lofty monuments on the banks of the Potomac, deepens the 
feeling of patriotism. To visit the art galleries and to see 
the best works of the masters not only leave impres- 
sions often to be recalled, but unconsciously developes a love 
for art and the beautiful. So standing among the everlast- 
ing hills and drinking in the grandeur and beauty of the 



4 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

works of the Almighty must deepen our love and reverence 
for Him who fashioned them and placed them where they 
best protect His children. 

But should we not see all that is to be seen in our own 
country first, before visiting Europe? That depends upon 
what the student desires — and every true traveler is a stud- 
ent. If he wishes to study nature simply, the Rocky Moun- 
tains are as impressive as the Alps, the glaciers of Alaska 
are on a much larger scale, and our own home of the 
midnight sun is quite as beautiful as that of Norway ; if he 
wishes to study the history of his own country which is the 
richest of its age, he will have an opportunity on the battle- 
fields of the Revolution and of the great Civil War; no- 
where are the lines of battle so distinctly marked as at 
Chickamauga and at Gettysburg, while Lundy's Lane, so 
prominent in the War of 1812, the site of one of the hardest 
battles ever fought, considering the number of men engaged, 
is near at hand ; but, if he wishes to know the history of civ- 
ilization, he must visit old Athens, stand on the hill of the 
Caesars, or catch the spirit of Hastings and Waterloo. The 
spot of the Guillotine, the location of the dreaded Bastile, the 
old London Tower, all have their associations that deepen 
historical impressions. Even Westminster Abbey, St. 
Denis, near Paris, the Appian Way, near Rome, all famous 
cities of the dead, inspire to greater study. If one wishes to 
imbibe the spirit of art he must go to the shrines of the great 
masters. There is but one Sistine Madonna and that is in 
Dresden only. The Louvre has its treasures, but they never 
leave Paris, while Rome and Florence are full of the finest 



THE VOYAGE. 7 

gems of painting and sculpture, always to remain there 
until removed by the vandal hands of conquering nations or 
destroyed by the tooth of time. No amount of reading or 
looking upo-n copies can ever equal a few personal visits to 
the places where the great originals are kept. Neverthe- 
less if we cannot travel, familiarity with copies is inval- 
uable. The traveler must select a few things which he must 
see, before starting on his journey. They should be the 
objects best known and most written about. This done, 
many other things will be added, but without such fore- 
thought, lie will return, his mind filled with a confused mass 
of everything in general and nothing in particular. 

To prepare properly for a trip abroad one should read 
for months, but the immediate arrangements for the voyage 
itself need not be extensive or require much time. As a 
matter of fact, every part of the United States is within a 
few days of the great seaports on the Atlantic. Although 
Columbus is located seven hundred miles from New York, 
but eighteen hours were required to make the overland 
trip. Compare this with the time required for such a trip 
in the days of Washington. 

At last in New York, all arrangements completed, we 
went on board the Patricia, of the Hamburg- American line, 
and were soon gliding down the river toward the open sea. 
How like a great "Commencement Day" is the beginning 
of a sea voyage ! The dock is a busy scene. "Hurry, hustle, 
bustle," are the words that characterize the movements of 
everyone. The freight has already been loaded, except a 
few things that cannot be placed on board until the last 



8 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

moment. Scores of men are busy getting the baggage prop- 
erly labeled and in place ; the constant arrival of those who 
have taken passage and hundreds of their friends makes 
a scene of great activity. Laughter and tears, mirth and 
sorrow, sometimes subdued, but often unrestrained, afford 
an opportunity for the student of human nature. Soon, 
however, this is brought to a sudden stop. The last pas- 
senger has come on board, the last visitor has gone ashore, 
the gang plank has been drawn away and the great vessel 
is ready to sail. Not a tremor is felt, not a bell is rung, but 
the commanding tones of the captain's voice are heard and 
the dock begins to move away. You wonder how all this 
happens, for the vessel's machinery is motionless. A little 
tug at the side, not more than one-thousandth part of the 
size of the great monster, is slowly, but surely, leading her 
out into the current of the North River, where she may float 
out with the tide. This is her "Commencement Day." 

It is a never to be forgotten moment when a great sea 
monster thus draws up her anchor and starts on her journey 
for foreign lands. All seems gay and happy enough at 
first, surrounded by enthusiastic well wishers that line the 
docks and fill the decks of neighboring steamers. Mid 
strains of music, the shouts of friends, the waving of thou- 
sands of handkerchiefs that were kept in incessant motion as 
long as they could be seen with naked eye or glass, our great 
steamer glided down the North River, guided by this little 
tug. As if proud of its own importance, the tug kept up 
a puffing and fuming, darting hither and thither, that was 
interesting to watch, while the big liner in silent dignity 



THE VOYAGE. tf 

allowed herself to be led down through the bay, across the 
bar, and out into the open sea. "And a little child shall 
lead them" was the thought that reverently passed through 
our mind. 

At first the din of whistles from the hundreds of ferry- 
boats plying across the river and bay in various directions 
was almost deafening. Scores of large vessels coming and 
going afforded an abundance of companionship and enter- 
tainment as we dropped down through the lower bay. But 
gradually the number became less and when at last we bade 
our little tug farewell and received "Bon Voyage" from the 
harbor pilot as he swung over the side of our ship, scarcely a 
dozen steamers and sailing vessels, all told, were in sight. 
With the disappearance of Rockaway Beach and its hotel, 
the last point of land to be seen, but two companions were 
visible, and before sunset one of these had disappeared be- 
neath the southern horizon. The other was gradually veer- 
ing toward the northeast, and though at the hour of retiring 
its lights could be dimly seen, before the coming of the 
morning it, too, had gone and we were left alone on the 
boundless sea. Our solitude had come so gradually that Ave 
did not realize it. Single handed and alone, our vessel, we 
knew, must now meet the storms and fight "old ocean's 
gray and melancholy waste." Is she able to do this? No 
one who examines her workmanship doubts for a moment 
that she is able. 

As the land disappeared and the lights from our single 
companion ship grew fainter in the distance, Byron's beau- 



10 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

tiful words in his "Good Night" seemed most appropriate 
and sweet. 

"Adieu, adieu! my native shore 

Fades oe'a the waters blue; 
The night-winds sigh, the breakers roar, 

And shrieks the wild sea mew. 
Yon sun that sets upon the sea 

We follow in his flight ; 
Farewell awhile to him and thee, 

My native land — Good night !" 

We now have leisure to examine our craft. She is one 
of the largest afloat, exceeded in size by the Deutschland 
and Oceanic only. Many steamers cross the Atlantic more 
quickly than she, but none with greater comfort. Her motion 
is quiet, steady, sure. There is none of that rolling, plung- 
ing, or quivering so characteristic of the lighter and faster 
express steamers. This is due to the fact that the Patricia 
carries an immense amount of merchandise, which serves to 
steady her and break the force of the largest waves. Her 
capacity is thirteen thousand tons of freight, but we are told 
that she has on board about seventeen thousand tons, or 
three thousand tons more than her registered capacity. If 
this were loaded on freight cars, allowing twenty-five tons to 
each car, it would require the enormous number of seven- 
teen trains of forty cars each to load this single steamer. 
If wagons were used instead of cars, and we were allowed 
one and one-half ton to each wagon and twenty feet of 
space for one wagon and horses, it would make a wagon 
train forty-three miles long, reaching from Columbus to 



TEr. " V.. — 11 

Springfield, Ohio. From these illustrations you may get 

some idea of the immense amount :■: cjmmerce carried on 
between America and Europe. 

Our ship is somthing more than a floating hotel or a 
"floating palace, 53 as we sometimes read. It is a floating 
community or town. It has its play grounds where not only 
boys and girls, but men a:: I wc men have good times. 7 /.est 
are the open decks and it is ess;- :: make believe that the 
great ^.is:? are trees in these parks. There are two of 
these large open decks, one in the front part of the vessel 
for first cabin passengers and the other in the after part 
for second cabin and steerage -; assengers. When the weath- 
er is fine these :ie:i:s are full :: people engaged in all s:r:s 
of games. 7i:e ladies are especially fond of shuffle board and 
the bean bag. while the men add to these an occasional con- 
tug :: war. But the :'::iiren play more games than 
the me:: :-..:: i women :ouM ever think :■:'. Fax and geese, 
blin S : n I pi s :::rr s base St ::: to be li: -ir favorite 

*ames. 

Rising above these >pen leeks in the :e:::ral par: " : 

like a steel hotel three high, are the decks tk 

d the same level with the open decks 

re the ms rf the main dc 

Ab<: lin leek is the pi lade deck and the upper 

deck, each having a magnificent walk around the entire 

structure. This is the place where people si: for hours in 

an and, 
eas are calm, dream of 



1- RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE, 

home and friends and happy times. But the seas are not 
always at rest. There are times when the most experienced 
traveler is not hungry. A story is told of a gentleman who 
was very sea sick, but his wife who had not been affected 
by the movement of the waters, tried to console him and 
to draw his attention away from himself. " See, John," 
she said, " the moon is coming up. How beautiful ! " "I 
am not surprised,'' he replied, " every other blamed thing 
has come up." Below the main deck there is another deck, 
called the lower deck which is also used by the first cabin 
passengers making four stories in all rilled with state rooms. 
There are two dining rooms for the first cabin passengers, 

one on the lower deck and one on the promenade deck. 
The latter is the larger and is used for concerts, entertain- 
ments during the week, and religious services on Sunday. 

The second cabin is a neat little hotel in itself and oc- 
cupies the stern of the vessel. The steerage passengers are 
stowed away beneath the after main deck. There are really 
five stories beneath the lower deck making in all nine stories 
counting from the bottom of the vessel. These lower stories 
are filled with merchandise, baggage, and quarters for the 
ship's crew which consists of about four hundred men, 
while the bottom is occupied by boilers, machinery, and 
coal. 

The state rooms are comfortable and usually accom- 
modate two persons. There are six of us however in one 
large double state room, one judge from Ohio, two lawyers 
from Indiana, two business men from Columbus, and my- 
self and vet we are not crowded. The room contains two 



THE VOYAGE. 13 

port holes, or windows, two wash stands, two closets with 
plenty of hooks for wearing apparel, carpet on the floor, a 
table large enough for four to surround and to write upon at 
the same time, and six berths, three upper and three lower. 
The room has excellent ventilation. 

It is not only a good place on shipboard to study human 
nature, but we have opportunity occasionally to study nat- 
ural history as well, not questioning the idea that there is 
a great deal of human nature in natural history. It is a 
great moment when some one shouts "A whale, a whale I" 
During our second day out a large number were seen spout- 
ing" five or six miles away. Sometimes thev come very near 
the vessel. A great many fish are to be seen, porpoises in 
particular. When large numbers of these are together 
they form what is called a school, but I do not think that 
they learn how to read. I have not seen any of them with 
books under their fins. Do you not think that this would 
be a funny school? 

Would you like to know how we spend each day on 
board? Well, the bugle calls at 7:30, when all who wish 
to do so are expected to get up and prepare for breakfast. 
I doubt not that you know just what the first bugle call 
sounds like. Then at 8 o'clock the second call is given, 
which is different from the first call, and means that break- 
fast is ready. At 10 o'clock the band gives a concert on one 
of the decks, after which bouillon and coffee are passed 
around. At 15 minutes before 1 o'clock the lunch signal is 
given, when all prepare for lunch, and at 1 o'clock the second 
call is given, which means that lunch is ready. At 3 o'clock 



14 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE* 

the band plays for the second-cabin and steerage passen- 
gers and tea is passed around. Then, at 7 o'clock, comes 
the principal meal of the day. The bugle calls are the same 
as for lunch, and an orchestra always plays in one of the 
first cabin dining rooms. Ice cream is always served at this 
meal. It is not made out of condensed milk, but is made 
and put up in New York. It is really very fine. I am 
sure that this will be encouraging news for any boy or girl 
who expects soon to cross the Atlantic. 

The clock is changed at 6 a. m. every day, so that going 
eastward we find our watches one-half hour late each morn- 
ing. Ten changes will make a difference of five hours by 
the time we get to London, where longitude begins. This 
shows a difference of 75 in longitude between London and 
New York. It is interesting to note these differences 
and as one has plenty of time, on shipboard, he can soon 
help all his fellow passengers to refresh their knowledge 
of longitude and time, if he can find any of them who are 
willing to stand and listen to him. You will remember 
that in every circle there are 360 . Hence in every daily 
revolution of the earth, we pass through 360 , or as we may 
transfer the motion to the sun, it moves through 360 in 
every twenty-four hours, so that every 15 of longitude 
makes one hour of time. It is on this principle that stand- 
ard time is based. When it is 12 m. at Greenwich, it is 
11 a. m. 15 west of Greenwich; i. e., the sun will reach 
that point one hour later, bringing noon with it. When it 
is 12 m. at Greenwich it is 10 a. m. 30 west; 9 a. m., 45 ; 
8 a. m., 6o°; 7 a. m., 75 ; 6 a. m., 90 . and so on. As we 



THE VOYAGE. 15 

started with 90th meridian, or Central Standard time, when 
we reached New York it was nee to turn our watches 

forward just one hour so as to have 75th meridian, or East- 
ern time. After leaving Xew York to keep the ship's time 
our watches had to be turned forward one hour every 15 . 
If one does not care to change his watch and it keeps g 
time, when the ship's clock is set. he can determine the long- 
le of the vessel by the difference in time, certainly a 
source of considerable enjoyment and satisfaction. 

Wi 1 the exact longitude and latitude of 

the ' the different parts of this letter were writ- 

ten yotl would think it a long one, indeed, reaching as it 

Hand to the " Lizard," 

on • and 1 would not blame you if you 

: too long t< 1 • 

and ahead/ 1 echoed from one end of the ship to the 

r, brought all passenger deck at an early hour this 

rery neck was Stretched, every eye -trained to 

glimpse : "Old England." The number of 

nd sail boats on all sides indicated thai our search 
for land would SOOn he rewarded. Strange as it may seem, 
with all the traffic on the Atlantic, there were whole 

- in which not a single -ail . n. Another urn 

11 that land was not far away was the large 

number alls that gathered about our vessel, ready 

Up any | 1 that might he thrown over- 

rd. Eagerly we watched. Every face showed happ> 
anticipation. At last the lighthouse on Scilly [stands r 
aboi horizon, then the barren islands themselves with 



16 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

their rocky, dangerous shores. These passed, Land's End 
and the coast of Cornwall came into view. And now, just 
at noon-time, we are passing the Lizard, with its fortifi- 
cations so near that w T e can see the men and almost hear 
their voices. Just beyond the Lizard, where the rocks are 
so numerous and dangerous, the magnificent American 
steamer, Paris, was wrecked a short time ago. 

To an American visiting Europe, every way of ap- 
proach has its attractions and holds him spellbound, as 
associations of historical and literary interest rush through 
his mind. Whether he comes by the northern route, with 
the green hills of Donegal skirting the horizon for hours, or 
by way of Liverpool, the greatest seaport in the world, or 
by the south coast of England — all is new, interesting, and 
enchanting and the first land upon which he steps is always 
the most beautiful and longest remembered of any seen 
during his entire visit. No doubt, as Irving says : "The 
temporary absence of worldly scenes and employment pro- 
duces a state of mind peculiarly fitted to receive new and 
vivid impressions. The vast space of waters that separates 
the hemispheres is like a blank page in existence. There is 
no gradual transition by which, as in Europe, the features 
and population of one country blend almost imperceptibly 
with those of another. From the moment you lose sight of 
the land you have left, all is vacancy, until you step on the 
opposite shore, and are launched at once into the bustle and 
novelties of another world." 

What a joy to be out on the ocean in a good vessel and 
with a large number of genial friends and companions on 



THE VOYAGE. 17 

board ! And yet, what a pleasure to see rising out of the 

water before you the shores of the "old country," about 
which you have heard and read so much ! One can hardly 
wait to step off and know that this is England, the mother 
country of the United States ; so much of our history and 
literature and ideas of life and liberty have come to us 
across the sea from this island that it seems like coming 
home, after an absence of centuries. These impressions 
delightful memories always to be cherished and 
frequently recalled. 

We are now nearing Plymouth. Eddystone light- 
house is just before us, the pilot boat is in sight, and we 
are ready to go a We have had a delightful voyage, 

with almost no seasickness. How different our landing 

• in this old English city from which the "Pilgrims" 
sailed for America almost three hundred years ago, from 
their landing on Plymouth Rock on that cold December day! 

• our landing here a more beautiful day could not be 
imagined; for their landing on the Western Continent, ac- 
cording to Mrs. T remans, the north winds had burst forth 
in all their fury : 

" The breaking wave- dashed high 

On n and rock-bound coj 

And the \v< ainst a stormy sky 

Their giant brand ed ; 

And the heavy night hung dark 

The hills and waters o'er, 

When a hand of I BlOOred their bark- 

On the wild N\-w England shot 

* * * * * 



18 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

Amidst the storms, they sang, 

And the stars heard and the sea! 
And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang 

To the anthem of the free. 
The ocean eagle soared 

From his nest by the white wave's foam, 
And the rocking pines of the forest roared — 

This was their welcome home !" 

The voyage from New York harbor to Plymouth, Eng- 
land, is often made in less than six days. The May-flower 
sailed from Plymouth on September 16, 1620, and the land 
off the coast of Cape Cod was not sighted until November 
19 and a landing was not effected until December 21. Its 
passengers had a dreadful voyage across the Atlantic. At 
one time it seemed as if the ship would surely go down. 
With the help of the Pilgrims, the sailors placed a heavy 
piece of wood under one of the deck beams and saved the 
vessel from going to pieces. What must have been to them 
a most inhospitable and barren wilderness, has become one 
of the most beautiful and fruitful lands of all the world. 
No true American should cease to be grateful for this noble 
struggle with the elements for the establishment of religious 
and political freedom. For all such the city of Plymouth 
has sacred associations. 



LETTER II. 

ENGLAND. 

Greater London. Plymouth. Plymouth to London. The Cars. Places of 
Interest tn tout'. How tu Sec London. A Ride on Top of an Om- 
nibus. The British Museum. National Art Gallery. Westminster A 

The Tower. London Bridge. Houses of Parliament. Crystal Pa 
Stratford on Avon. Oxford. The Thames. Greenwich. 

London, July S. 

DEAR CHILDREN: — This is old London town, the 
largest city in the world. We may speak of 
reater London as we do o\ greater New York. 
idon proper is only a small part of the great city, 
which covers an area of six hundred and ninety square 
miles, and includes fully seven million people. The 
Thames river, <>n which this great city is located, has 
a wide, deep mouth. so that, although tin- city is located 
fifty miles from tin- open sea, high tide allows the larg 
vessel- to enter and pass out, thus establishing direct 
water communication with the English colonies in all 
parts of the world. This is one i)\ the secrets of the 

city'- marvelous growth. 

W'e landed at Plymouth on July v ^. remained over night 
at the Duke <»f Cornwall hotel, and ran over to London on 
the .ph. Being Americans, we could almost imagine that 

a part of the Til-rim hand, returned to Plymouth, 

and barging on the British capital, on the glo- 

rious Fourth of July. However, the absence of firecrackers 
and the cordiality of the English people helped us to re- 
strain <»ur enthusiasm and to fed that we were not in an 

enemy's country, or likely t<> meet serious opposition in en- 



22 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

tering the gates of the great city. On the contrary, we 
were hospitably met at the Paddington station by a long 

line of cabs and omnibuses, the drivers all vying with each 
other in extending to us the use of their vehicle, for a rea- 
sonable consideration, to convey us to our hotel. 

The ride from Plymouth to London, a distance of two 
hundred forty-seven miles, among green-clad hills and rich 
valleys, is one of the most delightful that it has ever been 
my privilege to enjoy. It is especially so for those who 
have just landed after a long sea voyage. Plymouth is a 
strongly fortified city, with its new and old parts, which 
are very different from each other in general appearance. 
The old, with its narrow streets, white stone buildings, and 
old-fashioned doors and windows, must look very much as 
it did in 1620, when the Mayflower sailed away. The new 
part is modern, substantial, with wide streets, electric cars, 
beautiful store rooms, elegant residences, and everything 
suggestive of the first days of the twentieth century. Some 
time ago I saw the envelope of a letter mailed at Plymouth 
and the mark by which the postage stamp had been de- 
stroyed was the significant number, 1620. Had the letter 
been mailed from Plymouth, Massachusetts, it would not 
have seemed strange, but coming from Old England 
here, it meant that the City of Plymouth regarded the 
sailing of the Mayflower as the greatest event in her 
history. And why not? It marked the beginning of 
a new civilization, for the young republic " across the 
Western Sea " is destined soon to overshadow the older 
nations of the world and to extend the influences of civil 
liberty and general education to all mankind. 



ENGLAND. 23 

The cars in which we ride to London are very different 
from those found en our American railroads. We do not 
enter at the end as at home, but every car lias from four 
to six compartments, with doors at the sides. Each com- 
partment has two long seats running across the car and 
faci: :h other, something like a street car, but running 

cr s so that half of the mpelled to 

ride hack wards. The passengers in one compartment can 
not see or hear those who ride in the next. Some C 

running al i so that it is possible 

om <>ne compartment to another. All European 

much alike. The shrill scream of the 1 

motive sounds like a large tin whistle. The little four- 

At cars look \vr Ad wheels 

tall and clumsy, and would he of little value in 

l<>ad of mercl. from New York I 

CO. 

The cities of interest through which the train ]>;i~ 
r, Taunton, Bristol, Bath, and Reading. The 
[ from Bristol to exp] >rth American o 

n Taunton and Bristol, a glimpse is obtai the 

lannel and the Wales in the distance. 

. about thirty miles from London, we had i I 

;" Windsor A nlv I >ur in;! 

mill among the great elms which surround 

it, could 1 of Si' rising above the 

Ay Mantled Tower " from which — 

"The ni'.;. h to the moon complain. 91 



24 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE, 

This beautiful spot inspired that masterpiece of English 
verse, Gray's " Elegy in a Country Church Yard." 

Windsor Castle, built in the days of William the Con* 
queror, is one of the residences of the royal family of Eng- 
land, and is among the finest castles in Europe. There is 
much to be said about each of the above cities, but I know 
that you are most interested in the great city of London. 

To see London is not an easy matter. There are very 
few electric lines, and these do not run through the most 
interesting parts of the city ; the underground railway does 
not offer very attractive scenery, while the smoke and gas are 
often almost suffocating; carriages are excellent for drives 
through the parks and residence districts where the view is 
unobstructed ; but for busy London there is nothing as sat- 
isfactory as the top of an omnibus. There you sit in calm 
enjoyment, whether blockaded in the crowded Strand or 
moving with the current through Cheapside, Regent Street, 
or Piccadilly. This is the way to get a bird's eye view of 
London. Our first ride was down Victoria street, by West- 
minster Abbey, Parliament Houses, Trafalgar Square, 
through the Strand, by the Bank of England, St. Paul's 
Church, Bishop's Gate, over Holborn Viaduct, through 
Holborn and Oxford streets, by Furnival Inn, etc., to the 
marble arch, one of the entrances to Hyde Park ; then by the 
way of Hyde Park Lane and Buckingham gardens to our 
hotel. We are centrally located on Victoria street, near 
the points which we most desire to see. We can not visit 
all the places of interest during a week's stay, in fact, we 
could not do so thoroughly, if we were to remain a month. 



ENGLAND. 27 

The British Museum would in itself yield materials for 
years of investigation and study. This was the first place 
visited — a mere ramble through labyrinths of Elgin mar- 
s and ancient sculptures. Nineveh and Egypt, though 
long since fallen into decay, yet speak through their sculp- 
tured remains. Greece and Rome have contributed their 
share to the collection of relics found in -the great British 
Museum. The Elgin marbles, brought from Athens by 
Lord Elgin in I So 1-3, or we might say, taken captive by 
him, are the finest of the kind in existence and are undoubt- 
edly the work of the great Phidias. \i we may judge by 
these marbles that adorned the Parthenon, that stood on 
the Acropolis of Athens, it must have been beautiful indeed. 
Jd he impossible even to enumerate the things 
rical interest to be found here, for the museum 

contains the largesl collection of books, manuscripts, works 
of art. and antiquities anywhere in the world t<> he seen 
under one roof. It was founded in [753, and from that time 
to the present has had a wonderful growth. The South 
•1 Museum, opened one hundred years later, is 
I chiefly to science. Not far from the British Museum, 
Trafalgar square with its fine monument to I 
the National Art Gallery, More than one thou- 
sand tine pictures are lure t«» be seen, among them som< 
the world's masterpi ; ' as here that we received <>ur 

first introduction to Raphael, lie has several Madom 
in this gallery, one of which was bought from the Duke "t" 
Marlb • 0,000. But none of t ! 

Mad' mnas are to be mpared with thi E I >res 



28 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

den/' or the " Madonna of the Chair " in Florence. How- 
ever, St. Catherine of Alexandria is indeed a gem. 

One of the places of greatest interest in London is, of 
course, Westminster Abbey. No one versed in English 
history or literature ever tires of this resting place of Eng- 
lish kings and heroes, consecrated as it is by monuments 
erected to the memory of the world's great authors. The 
Abbey is a magnificent old Gothic church, begun by Edward 
the Confessor in the eleventh century and rebuilt bv Henry 
III. in the thirteenth century. There are two places of 
special interest to me — the chapels of the kings and the 
poets' corner. Strolling through the chapels of the kings, 
the tombs of the Edwards and the Henrys, Queen Elizabeth,, 
and Mary Queen of Scots, are all pointed out, while many 
have no monument. Chatham, Pitt, Fox, Canning, whose 
eloquence helped to make England, all lie silent here, and 
the low hum of interested visitors talking only of their 
good deeds does not disturb their slumber. The poets' cor- 
ner is a unique idea and shows in what reverence is held 
the memory of those gifted geniuses that made the English 
tongue sing so sweetly — Chaucer, Spenser, Ben Jonson, 
Dryden, Gay, Prior, Addison, and Campbell are all buried in 
this sacred corner; while monuments have been erected 
here to Shakespeare, and to our own loved poet, Longfel- 
low. If there is any place which inspires meditation, it is 
Westminster Abbey. While you are thinking about it, I 
would advise you to read Irving'' s beautiful description of 
Westminster Abbey in " Sketch Book." 



ENGLAND. 31 

One must not leave London without a visit to the 
Tower. I never visit this old castle without a feeling of 
sadness as we are reminded of the innocent people wh 
up their lives within these walls and on Tower Hill, near 
by — Sir Thomas •. Lady Jane Grey, and a long list 

of ol In the Bloody Tower the h - is of Edward 

I. are said to have been murdered by the order of Richard 
III. Though full of dark history, the Tower is no longer 
^loonr. - pris n that it once was. Instead, it has 

f the crown jewels of the 
and military relics. The trait- 

te no longer fs out into the Thames knit 

the trembling prisoner, and the dull thud of the ex. 
• 

3 service, 

inence. They have a healthy, 

barn mce to they have little hut 

I sh< >uld like to 1; with me S Paul's 

[ral, <>r over I.<>nd< m hr >r through 1 ' 

Parliament, and a dozen otl but 

it would take time to do them well. While at the Partial 
mighl ih'- to 

which o 1 with other 

;m to tlu- sound «>f a pia 
:ul it would b 
. 
and witness the ini' in th< 



32 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

peare, pass Warwick castle on the way and stop off at 
Oxford on our return for a ramble through the many col- 
leges of that university town. It would be no small pleasure 
to tarry long enough at Magdalene college to run around 
Addison's walk in the early twilight only a mile around, 
and then be locked in as we were, and have to wait for the 
sleepy watchman to come and let us out. I am sure that 
you would hasten to get your tickets for a boat ride down the 
Thames and come with me to Westminster Bridge and take 
a little steamer for a fifteen-mile trip down to Greenwich 
and back. Through the muddy Thames we dash, under 
bridge after bridge, by docks without number, among a 
multitude of vessels large and small, each trying to whistle 
the loudest and make the biggest show of business. Strange 
to say, you will find Greenwich on every map, it seems to 
be everywhere, and yet it has a very definite location. If 
you will look at the top of the map of the United States 
you will find it there, because it is the place from which all 
English-speaking nations reckon longitude. The great 
observatory of Greenwich is located on a hill not far from 
the Thames. No one would want to leave this place with- 
out going to the top and setting his watch by the time which 
regulates the world's commerce, take the measure of the 
true foot and true yard to be found there, and lift the pound 
to see that his muscular sense is properly educated. 

We have said that London contains about seven million 
people; it is as large as New York and Philadelphia com- 
bined; in fact, one-seventh of the people of England live 
in London. Allowing a foot of space for each person, its 



ENGLAND. 83 



pe >ple would form a single file more than a thousand miles 
long, reaching from Chicago to New York. 

But with all its history, with all its roar and hustle, we 
must leave dear, big, old London for the continent. 



LETTER III. 

FRANCE. 

Crossing the Channel. Dieppe. The Valley of the Seine. Paris as Seen 
from the Eiffel Tower. A Carriage Drive Through Paris. The " Place 
de la Concorde/' The Madeline. The " Place de la Bastile." The 
Celebration of the 14th of July. A Military Review. The Louvre. A 
Visit to Versailles. The Paris Exposition. Boats on the Seine. Growth 
of Paris. 

Paris, July 17. 

DEAR CHILDREN: — We have been in Paris just 
eight days and expect to leave tomorrow for 
Switzerland and the South. We left London 
on Monday morning, July 9, and reached Paris at 
six P. M., the same day. The trip from London to New 
Haven, where we caught the channel steamer, gave us a 
fine view of Southern England. The fields of red poppies 
were something new to us and beautiful to behold. Old 
England was truly at her best, clad in her eariy summer 
dress of green, gayly-trimmed with red. We all regretted 
to leave her so soon, but felt that in the time taken we had 
done thorough work, at least all that could be expected. 

The boats that cross the channel are not large like ocean 
steamers and are often rocked in a fearful manner by the 
great waves that roll up from the Atlantic. As we sat on 
the deck listening to the stories of those who had often 
crossed before and had seen stormy waters and fearful sea- 
sickness, we almost felt condemned that we experienced no 
pang of regret for the good dinner we had just eaten. 
However, some of our people paid their respects to old 
Neptune, the god of the sea, and with a pale face looked 



FRANCE. 35 



forward longingly for the distant port. Our littl mer 

dashed ahead at the rate of twenty miles an hour, and in a 
very short time had measured the distance oi 64 miles trom 
New Haven, England, to Dieppe, Fran< 

We entered the artificial har h a 

small opening, but found plenty of dock room on the inside. 
It was not difficult to realize that we were in a strange 
country. All was different — a strange flag, a strange lan- 
guaj people. This was France. 

A train was waiting irry us to Paris, and even this 

I different from the trains of England. " \<>n 
itside 1 car, indicated a compart- 

ment in wl had joined the Anti-Cigarette lea 

•.-;. But first of all, the custom h 

I no 
a duty must he paid. I 
ant by a duty? 1 1' you do not your | 

'. n< a tal nine 

UCh like mice, 
time. 

mination. About t : . 
: 1 )iep] train passed I an- 

il .»f Normandy. I' tted on the Sein< 

surr d by n hills and rich vail 

middle it is -aid than 

am ity. Tl fr< in Rouen to Paris was 

and < >n < rail- 

road to be - 



36 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE, 

making the country look like a crazy quilt, but that only 
lent a charm to the whole scene. The farmers live in villages 
and farm small patches of land not all located in one place, 
but a little piece here and a little piece there. No fences 
are to be seen, as every inch of ground is cultivated. There 
is no lack of variety — a patch of potatoes, a patch of beans, 
a patch of wheat, a few fruit trees, etc., all growing in the 
greatest luxuriance. 

We are pleasantly located in the Rue Castiglione, near 
the Garden of the Tuileries on one side and the Vendome 
Column on the other. We are within five minutes' walk of 
the Place de la Concorde, the Seine, the main entrance to 
the Exposition, the Louvre, the Grand Opera House, and a 
number of other important and well-known places. It is of 
great advantage to be so located, that on returning to the 
hotel after a busy day, one may in a few minutes revisit 
places which he desires especially to remember. 

To stand on the top of Eiffel Tower, nine hun- 
dred and ninety-eight feet high, and look over the 
great city of Paris and the surrounding country, is one of 
the experiences of a lifetime. All about you is the World's 
Fair, the great Exposition of nineteen hundred, and the city 
which looks like a plaster model with its streets and avenues 
running in every direction. The Seine flows through the 
center of the city like a great winding serpent, its bosom 
covered with people going to and from the Exposition. 
Moving hither and thither like swarms of bees the people 
do not appear much larger than insects as you look down 
upon them, nearly one thousand feet below. 



FRANCE. 37 

The Arch of Triumph stands in its majesty on an emi- 
nence, while the magnificent tomb of Xapoleon, the twin 
towers of Xotre Dame in the distance, the Bois de Boulogne, 
the Palaces of the Louvre and Luxembourg are all in plain 
view. At the same time the surrounding country, rich in 
history, presents a picture full of food for thought. Down 
the river but a few miles is St. Cloud, with the remains of 
the Palace of Xapoleon III. Beyond, but still in view, is 
Versailles, forever to be associated with the grandeur of 
Loui- XIV. and the misfortunes of Marie Antoinette. The 
march of the revolutionists may easily be traced from the 
<>i" Versailles to the guillotine in Paris. No better 
introduction to the study of a city can be obtained than a 
bird's eye view, Mich as the Eiffel Tower gives of Paris. 
After having taken Mich a view and then visited the differ- 
ent places of interest, another climb should be made for a 
farewell look. flow it would help you in your studies it 
you c«>uld catch that bird's eye view that takes iu all at a 
glance. It is such a view that an author or your teacher 
tries to give you in the " synopsis " of a subject. 

It has been a part of our plan to take firsl a general sur- 

of the city, and then enter into such a detailed study as 

time will permit. In London, the omnibus with a top seat is 
my choice, but in Paris everybody rides in a carriage or coupe. 
The ; de and airy as a rule, and the buildings 

almost uniform height. It is quite impossible to see every- 
thing and read about it and make notes at the same time. 

Yet many foolish travelers try to do this, and as a result. 

fail in all and become thoroughly disgusted and worn out. 



38 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

We have adopted no such plan. We have supposed our 
reading to have been done, except perhaps in a very few in- 
stances, and so try to keep our eyes ready to see and our 
minds ready to enjoy. Notes should be made after the day's 
work of sight-seeing has been completed, unless there is 
something unusual which is likely to be forgotten. In such 
a frame of mind one is ready to see not only objects of 
interest, but the habits and customs of the people, and 
actually receives rest and recreation in the midst of the 
hardest kind of labor. Among the places passed and 
visited in our preliminary survey we might mention the 
Grand Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, t he Arch 
of Triumph, the Place de la Concorde, the Luxem- 
bourg Palace, the site of the Bastile, and many others 
with hard French names that sound prettier than they 
look. There are parks, gardens, boulevards, and beau- 
tiful avenues without number, as well as a few narrow 
streets and dark alleys through which you are glad to 
pass at a good trot. Returning from the drive and having 
eaten a good dinner, one is ready for a walk and a few hoars 
of meditation. I prefer the Place de la Concorde. It is only 
five minutes' walk from our hotel and is the very center of 
splendor and French history. The name means the "place 
of peace," and as you watch the joyous crowds of people 
passing to and fro and notice the brilliant surroundings it 
seems indeed the place of peace. The Seine is on the south, 
with its magnificent bridges and pleasure boats without num- 
ber ; the Garden of the Tuileries, now the playground of the 
children of Paris, on the east; the main entrance to the 



PRANCE. 41 

Exposition on the west ; while the north is lined with gov- 
ernment buildings, with a street through the center leading 
up to the majestic front of the Madeleine church, tl 
specimen of Greek architecture to be found outside of 
Athens. A thousand fe and seven hundred feet wide, 

it is a magnificent square; but it has not always been the 
place of peace. Xear the center stood the awful guillotine 
that during- the French revolution did such bloody work. 
Between January 21, 1793, and May 3, 1795, nearly three 
pie were executed by the guill tine : among the 
number, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The spot is 
by a beautiful fountain and the Obelisk 
fht from Egypt and erected here in 18 
Th( ild forever flow, it will not wash 

away the stains of innocent I ill reflections on 

ting back t<> Ramses I 1, three tl 
three hundred yei 1 — drive from the mind the thoughts 

of deeds done during- that fearful revolutii 

nother spot which is full of saddest tradition is the 
44 PI ." I [ere stood for more tl e hun- 

of tlie gloomiest prisons that ever 
on the . surrounded by a wall forty 

I fifteen at the top, and one hundred 
it COuld never have been captured by the people 

had the; '. friends among the soldiers within. The 

wall • ded by a moat or ditch one hundred feet 

wide and twent | deep. This was kept full of 

water. But the place of the Bastile has also been changed. 

On July 14. 17s.;. the revolutionists made a bold attack 



42 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

this gloomy prison with its slimy dungeons, and the soldiers 
within, who were friends of the people, compelled the gov- 
ernor to surrender and the Bastile fell. You may remember 
the key of the Bastile among the relics at Mt. Vernon, the 
home of Washington. It had been sent to him by Lafayette. 
The site of the Bastile is now occupied by a monument called 
the Column of July which is one hundred and fifty-five feet 
high and was erected in honor of the heroes who fell in the 
revolution of July, 1830. 

We were fortunate in Deing in Paris on July 14, the 
great national holiday of France, marking the fall of the 
Bastile and the birth of the first republic. There were crowds 
of people everywhere, but they were quiet and orderly. 
President Loubet reviewed about thirty thousand soldiers, 
who were on dress parade at the Place de la Militaire in the 
Bois de Boulogne, which means the military training ground 
in the woods of Boulogne. The latter is a large park of sev- 
eral thousand acres. We spent fully five hours out at the 
military park and obtained an excellent idea of the French 
army. It was a magnificent sight. Coming up the avenue 
from the woods or park, we passed the Arch of Triumph, 
built by the great Napoleon. It is a wonderful structure, and 
the top was crowded with people. The arch is located on 
elevated ground facing the Champs Elysees, perhaps the 
widest and finest street in the world. Everything was 
jammed. As we passed around the arch and entered the 
Champs Elysees, we could see a surging mass of people wait- 
ing for the return of the president from the review. It had 
been falsely rumored that there would be an attempt to 



FRANCE. 43 

assassinate him. The avenue filled with people was a beauti- 
ful sight, extending down beyond the Place de la Concorde 
to the Louvre, all in full view from the top of the omnibus, 
which a few of us had chartered for the occasion. 

But the evening crowd in the Place de la Concorde was 
the great jam of the day. Fully one hundred thousand peo- 
ple had gathered in that immense square and the adjacent 
streets to see the fireworks, which closed the day's celebra- 
tion. All seemed goodnatured and no one was hurt as far 
as we could see, though a number of accidents were reported 
in the next morning's papers. The French do not seem to 
as demonstrative as Americans, though when aroused, 
they arc much more difficult to control. A restless spirit 
pparent, and judging from the enthusiasm with which the 
name of Napoleon is always greeted, the number of Bona- 
partists must be very large. I should not be surprised to 
see this slumbering fire burst into a tlame at almost any mo- 
ment. France can not stand many more revolutions and 
continue to exist as a nation. 

There are a number of museums and art galleries in 
Paris. ( >f course, the most important is the Louvre. Still, 

wants to visit the Luxembourg gallery, where Rosa 
I U .nheur's best animals are t< i be seen and t lie works of other 
great French masters. The Louvre, however, took nearly all 

Our time, and, unless a person IS going to remain for months 

in Paris it is well to spend most of bis time here. This has 

become, in fact, the great museum not only of Europe, but of 
the entire civilized world, and all are interested in the protec- 
tion of its treasure 3. It occupies a part of the magnificent 



44: RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE, 

palaces in which the kings of France lived for many cen- 
turies. Any one who attempts to see everything will very 
likely remember nothing. The ground floor contains sculp- 
tures ; the first floor, pictures ; the second floor is devoted 
largely to science. There are two pieces of sculpture in the 
Louvre which are familiar to every school boy or girl in 
Columbus, "Venus de Milo" and the "Winged Victory." 
Although scarred and worn by the rough use of ages, they 
are still grand and wonderful. The approach to the " Venus 
de Milo" is very impressive. Standing in a room by itself, 
it is seen in the distance through the open archway, majestic 
and alone. This magnificent piece of sculpture was found 
by a peasant in the island of Milo, one of the Greek archi- 
pelago, in 1820. It belongs to the fourth century before 
Christ, a time when Greek sculpture was at its best, with 
Praxiteles at its head. The adjoining halls are filled with 
some of the finest works of antiquity, which standing alone, 
would challenge the admiration of all who see them, but 
they are almost forgotten on account of the presence of 
Venus de Milo. "Winged Victory" stands on the landing 
leading from the ground floor to the picture gallery. This 
figure was found in 1863, and belongs, no doubt, to the early 
part of the third century, B. C. Although much mutilated, 
it is one of the finest specimens of early Greek art. 

The gallery is one of the most complete to be found. 
All the great masters are represented here. No gallery in 
Europe is so well supplied with the works of Raphael, among 
which are his Madonna and the Child with St. John. It is 
one of the most famous of pictures and copies of it are often 



FRANCE. 45 

seen in this country. Leonardo de Vinci, who painted the 
famous " Last Supper." has a number of his best pictures 
here. Correggio, Rubens, Murillo, and Titian may be en- 
joyed and studied to the fullest extent. One should always 
stop as long as possible in front of the works of these great 
painters, while time may compel him to pass with a mere 
glance hundreds that are excellent, but of less note. I can- 
not say that I liked the subjects used by Rubens, though 
his colors are fine; as a whole, I enjoyed Murillo much 
more. But I am entering upon a subject which I have 
neither the time nor the space to discuss. 

( )ne of our most delightful days was spent at Versailles. 
The palace of Louis XIV must have been magnificent in 
his day. It is now used as a museum. Every corner is full 
of history. The rooms occupied by Louis XIV, Louis XV, 
Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and Xapoleon I, retain as 
far as possible the furniture and general appearance of the 
time when occupied by those noted characters. The splen- 
did pictures on the walls are well worth seeing. Although 
many of them represent victories of the French over the 
nan-, they were uninjured by the latter during the 
t Paris and at the close of that siege were turned 

over unharmed. No greater compliment can he paid to 

a besieging army than to publish this fact to the world. 
The Grand Trianon (triangle) is not so attractive, but 
the Petit (little) Trianon, with its thatched roof houses and 

dairy farm attachments, is beautiful. No wonder that 

Marie Antoinette loved to be there. 



46 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE* 

You may wonder why I have not said more about the 
Exposition. The fact is, that there is so much of interest 
outside of the Exposition that one finds his attention 
divided. I have been inside eight times, spending from 
three to four hours at a time, and feel well repaid. As a 
whole, I do not consider it equal to the world's fair at 
Chicago. There are some individual exhibits that are finer 
and much more complete than any at Chicago in 1893. 
This is to be expected; science, art, and the industries 
have made great advancement in seven years. But here 
the Exposition is quite scattered, while at Chicago it was 
very compact and the different parts much more accessible. 

The idea of using a number of parks along the river 
front was a good one, as hundreds of boats on the Seine help 
to transport the people from one part of the Exposition to 
another. For two cents these boats carry passengers from 
one end of Paris to the other, a distance of ten to twelve 
miles — a delightful ride for almost nothing. The moving 
sidewalk is another means of going from park to park. 
Once on the sidewalk, you are carried over streets and even 
houses at a rapid rate. 

Many of the buildings now used were erected for the 
Exposition of 1878. This is true of what is called the Pal- 
ace of Trocadero, which has a fine location facing the 
Champs de Mars, where the main exhibits are to be 
/bund. As a matter of fact, it is not a palace at all, 
but a permanent museum with magnificent grounds. 
The great Hall of Arts is a permanent structure and 
will remain. Perhaps the finest monument of all will be 



FRANCE. 47 

the beautiful Bridge of Alexander, which spans the Seine 
at one of the busiest points. 

I like the plan of classification. Instead of the differ- 
ent nations having their exhibits alone, they are all ar- 
ranged under different subjects, so that one who is interested 
in education for instance, will find all under that head in 
one place. The United States has a fine building prominently 
located on the Seine, which is used as a great reception hall 
for Uncle Sam's children who have strayed away from 
home. It does not contain any exhibits, all of these are 
scattered under different heads, as indicated above, but 
every American calls and registers here, meets friends, or 
gets his mail. There is so much written about the Expo- 
sition in all the papers and magazines that I shall not 
attempt a full description of it. 

I am sure that you would enjoy a trip up the Seine 
in one of the little steamers that ply its waters. \ know 
of some Columbus people who took a trip of that kind 
after supper one evening and found, when it was 
late, that there were no more boats returning that night. 
But a friendly "brake" had just seats enough for them 
to return. They all say that they enjoyed their midnight 
ride through the streets of Paris, and 1 am inclined to 

believe them, for I was one of the party. You would enjoy 

a ride on an electric ear t<> old St. Denis, only six miles out, 

where the king- of i were buried for several hundred 

tnong the number. Charlemagne, that great character 

Of the dark ages. While Paris is not as large as London, 

it is neverth ' city with a population ^\ more than 



48 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE* 

two million five hundred thousand people. Located on the 
Seine, the river most easily navigated of all in France, sur- 
rounded by a fertile country, and in the main lines of trade 
between the countries of the Mediterranean and the north, 
its growth has been constant and rapid. The island in the 
middle of the river not only afforded a means of defense in 
its early history, but made bridge building easy, until modern 
engineering spanned the river at many points with magnifi- 
cent bridges. One of the finest views in the city is that of 
the seven bridges as seen from the roof of Notre Dame 
Cathedral which stands on the island. 

We leave tomorrow tor the Alps and Italy. I hope to 
write you again from Genoa, the birthplace of Columbus. 



LETTER IV. 



CROSSING THE ALPS. 



The Jura Mountains. Lausanne. Lake Geneva. Geneva. Orer the Alps, 
lit. Cenia Tunnel. Custom Houses. Turin. Gen " ( a Santo." 

Marhle Palaces. 

Genoa, Italy, July 22. 

DR CHILDREN: — The ride from Paris to Lau- 
sanne was both interesting and beautiful — inter- 
esting because of the historical associations con- 
nected with the country through which we passed and 
made attractive by the ever changing scenery. We fol- 
ed up the Seine river as far as Dijon. The soil 
ms to ] productive and is in the highest state [ 

cult: Few vineyards were seen until we bad reached 

>f the Jura mountains. These mountains are 
not very high — about like the Alleghenies. The scenery 
is beautiful, rather than grand. Passing over to the south- 

pes of the Jura mountains, we caught our first 
glimpse of the Alps across the low, hilly plateau oi th< 

lands, at a distance of seventvdhe miles. We could 

not have seen them under more favorable circumstai 
It was near the hour of sunset, when the skies wear their 
Beneath the red clouds stood the everlast- 
mountains, stretching for miles along the horizon and 
vying with the clouds themselves in brilliancy and beauty. 
I have never seen anything so beautiful it seemed like 
into I 
At Lausanm topped at Hotel Gibbon, whei 

bon wrote his hi >f Rome. A- we entered our rooms 



52 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE, 

i • 1 " 7 ' 

ii i 
two candles standing at the foot of the bed gave us light 

and announced the fact that we were in a different country 
even from France. We were in Switzerland, the supposed 
home of William Tell. All were charmed. After a course 
dinner and a good night's rest, we were served to a regu- 
lar Swiss breakfast, which is the same as that in the rest 
of Europe, viz., rolls, butter, and coffee, with the addition 
of honey, almost as clear as their mountain water 

All regretted to leave Lausanne so soon, but a delight- 
ful ride down the lake to Geneva awaited us. The water 
is as clear as glass and in many places we could see the bot- 
tom as our boat glided over the smooth surface. A dis- 
tant view was obtained of the base of Mt. Blanc for a few 
minutes, but the air was too hazy to enable us to see it w T ell. 
At Geneva we met a number of American friends and 
enjoyed the pleasure of an evening boat ride with them. 

Geneva is a splendid city through which the rapid Rhone 
flows from the lake and marks the spot where Caesar fought 
his first battle in his Gallic wars. Orgetorix was then king of 
the Helvetians and "the bravest by far of all the Gauls." One 
could enjoy weeks in this city of the lake and the river and 
never tire of the swift running waters of the Rhone always 
as clear as crystal, suggestive of the pure atmosphere and 
noble character of its brave people. It is interesting to note 
the fact that a monument has been erected here to the mem- 
ory of Rousseau, the famous educator. Near the wharf 
where we landed, Empress Elizabeth of Austria, was mur- 
dered about two years ago. 



CROSSING THE ALPS 53 

We left Geneva on a morning train for the city of 
Turin in northern Italy. This was an all-day ride down 
the Rhone, up the Arc and across the Alps by way of Mt. 
Cenis pass, with its tunnel, just twenty minutes long. At 
Chambery we first struck the valley of the [sere, which we 
followed to the junction of the Arc. Up this valley, no 
doubt, Hannibal passed in his famous march over the Alps 
more than two thousand one hundred years ago, Followed 
by Napoleon two thousand years later. But instead ^i con- 
tinuing in the valley of the Isere, as they did, in the direction 
of Little St. Bernard, the modern railway keeps to the right, 
in the valley of the Arc, to Modane, Mere the train sud- 
denly plunges into Mt. Cenis tunnel. When it appears 
above the surface again it is on the Italian side of the moun- 
tains. The scenery i> both beautiful and grand. The foot- 
hills are thoroughly cultivated and the thick patches 

and yellow often cm and lyi ver the fields 

and in 5, showed that the soil must he very fertile 

or it is are of. Away tip among the mountains 

could see little yellow patches sometimes a thousand 
more i die railroad tracks Verj often how 

c<>ui.' een on points of rock, or churches, or ruined c 

1 doubt to tiie days of feudalism; above all 
the snow-cap] uintains, grand and beautiful. While 

ns \\ ith their I >ft) peaks are impressive 
tfying because they have hoi 
[( »r the pe j >li* \\ hen ailable I i be found. 

It was 1; through the custom 

although somewhat anno; At Bellegarde the train 



54 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE, 

entered French territory and all had to unload their baggage 
for inspection; then again at Modane, where we crossed 
the line into Italy. Sometimes one or two satchels would 
be opened for the entire party and the rest passed, and then 
again the inspectors would insist upon looking into every 
one. 

While we were passing through the ordeal at Modane 
we were favored with a rainstorm and hail whose clatter 
on the tin roof of the station rose even above the chatter 
of the French and Italians, for we were now on the border 
line between the two countries. It was the first rain that 
we had seen since landing, and the novel surroundings 
made it doubly enjoyable and — 

"Every tingle on the shingle 
Brought an echo to the heart." 

From Mt. Cenis tunnel down to Turin little steam is 
required and almost no smoke is produced by the engine. 
The engineer simply puts on the brakes and lets the train 
coast for miles — a charming ride with no danger, as the 
train is easily stopped. 

The old church of St. Ambrosia stands upon a solitary 
peak, perhaps a thousand feet high, a gray timeworn sen- 
tinel of the past, and marks our entry upon the fertile plains 
of Italy. Here we first realize that we have reached a lower 
latitude. Indian corn (maize) is again seen and makes us 
think of home. 

Turin is the most modern city of Italy as Belfast is of 
Ireland. Its streets are regular and wide for this country. 



CROSSING THE ALPS. DO 

This is due to the fact that it was almost destroyed by tire 
during- the siege of 1706. It was also destroyed by Hannibal 
in 218 B. C., during his first week in Italy, after having 
crossed the Alps, but that has not had much to do with its 
modern prosperity. It contains about four hundred thou- 
sand people, and was the capital of Italy from 1S59 to ]V 
After spending a night at Turin, the Po, that historic river, 
was crossed and the journey to Genoa renewed. Italy looks 
more like the United States than any country that we have 
visited. Splendid fields of corn and familiar trees, oaks, 
silver maples, buckeyes, elms, locusts, etc., are all old friends. 
The houses, the people, and customs alone are different. 
The ride for the most part from Turin to Genoa was very 
enjoyable, though the numerous tunnels of the western 
spur of the Apennines were hot and dusty. 

We are now in Genoa, the birth-place of Columbus. 
It is a quaint old city of about two hundred and twenty 
thousand inhabitants, and is the natural seaport <>i Milan 
and Turin and a large fertile region in northern Italy. 

In riding about yesterday we passed from one terrace 

to another until we reached a point from which the 
llld be seen as a whole — another bird's eye view 

you will notice. It is built largely of marble, which is very 

abundant in Italy. I hardly need to tell you that it is \n\ hot 
here amoi alls, but n<>t any more SO than 1 

have known it to be in Columbus, "('amp'- Santo" 1- even 
more than it i^ claimed t<» be, a marble burying ground full 
of finest statuary, representing in many cases the figures of 

those who lie there, and in SOme Cases 1 who are still 



56 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE* 

living. Genoa is pre-eminently the city of marble palaces. 
Alessi, one of the distinguished pupils of Michelangelo, 
was the architect of nearly all of the marble palaces so 
numerous here. The most richly decorated church that we 
have seen, or are likely to see, is San Ambrogio of this 
city. It is sumptuous in mosaics, gilding, and frescoes, the 
latter the work of Guido and Rubens. I am afraid that 
your teacher will have to explain what is meant by " mosa- 
ics " and " frescoes," unless you look up the words in the 
dictionary for yourselves. 

The hotel at which we are stopping is one of the old 
palaces, built by a rich merchant during the days of the 
Doges, when Genoa was a republic and one of the wealth- 
iest cities of the world. We have visited the home of 
Columbus which still stands in a narrow street, not more 
than twelve feet wide. The house itself is only a section 
of a long row of houses, six or seven stories high and ten 
to fifteen feet wide. There is nothing attractive about it 
and the location is one of the poorest in the city. A sigh 
of relief was heard from many of our party as we stepped 
out of this narrow, crowded, dirty, passage way, filled with 
people whom no one would care to meet alone. 

A party of twenty-seven took a delightful boat ride 
this morning along the bay front and out into the Mediter- 
ranean sea. A little steam launch, large enough to hold 
all was chartered for the occasion. The view of the white 
city as seen from the sea is magnificent. For a background 
the green hills and in the distance the Apennine mountains 
gave to all a charm far more attractive than the city itself, 



CROSSING THE ALPS. 5? 

with its narrow streets and marble palaces, reminders 
simply of departed glory. But if I write at greater length 
on Genoa you will wonder whether this is the only city 
seen since leaving Paris. 

We leave here this evening for Rome, which we hope 
to reach tomorrow morning at seven o'clock. The day train 
has been taken off on account of the heat. They stop any- 
thing at pleasure here without notice, and the night train 
may be taken off, too, for all we know. 



LETTER V. 

ROME. 

Night Ride from Genoa to Rome. Entrance to the " Eternal City." The 
" Seven Hills of Rome." Santa Maggiore. Forum of Trajan. The 
Pantheon. Princian Hill. The Colosseum. 

Rome, July 26. 

DEAR CHILDREN : — We have now been in Rome 
just long enough to whet our appetites for a 
month's visit. "An old city," you will say, 
" musty and in ruins." Rome will admit her age, I 
am sure, but as to mustiness, I must say that she is 
the cleanest city that we have so far visited. As pre- 
dicted in my last letter, we left Genoa on the evening 
of the twenty-second, but found no sleeping cars as on our 
American trains. The distance from Genoa to Rome is 
about the same as from Columbus to Chicago, and when I 
tell you that we passed through the land of the ancient 
Ligurians and Etrurians, about whom you have read in 
your Roman history, and old Pisa with its leaning tower, 
where Galileo performed some of his experiments, you will 
not be surprised that it was a sleepless night. With a half 
dozen or more in each compartment and contests at every 
station with belated travelers who tried to share our com- 
partments with us, we had an interesting as well as a wake- 
ful time. There was but one Italian word which we knew, 
and we had learned this from necessity and observation. 
It was " reservato " (reserved). This generally had the 
desired effect, as the Italians are very courteous, especially 
to strangers. We reached Pisa soon after midnight, and 



ROME. 59 

every bit of space on the train was filled for some distance. 
As the morning light began to drive away the darkr. 
the peaceful Mediterranean again became visible on our 
right, and lit up by the first rays of the morning sun, pre- 
sented a picturesque appearance, which was pleasing to 
behold. We were on the Campagna, which an Indiana 
lawyer said reminded him of the great prairies of Illinois. 
At an early hour we turned away from the sea, ran up the 
valley of the Tiber, followed it for some distance, crossed 
the river, curved around to the south, and finally entered the 
" Eternal City " from the southeast, somewhat to our sur- 
prise. That this was Rome there could be no doubt, for 
the ruins of the great Claudian aqueduct stretched off to 
the south. In fact, the train had passed through one of the 
arches of the old ruins in winding its way to the station, 
which is located on the Yiminal, one of the seven hills 
Rome. One scarcely leaves the station before the study of 
antiquity begins. In fhe immediate vicinity are the vast 
ruins of the Baths of Diocletian. Our hotel is near by and 

the starting point from which all our excursions were 
made. I have referred to the u Seven Hills of Koine." [f 
von will place before you a map of ancient Rome, you will 
find just north of the southern wall of the city four hills: 
the Quirinal at the extreme east, followed as we proceed 
rd by the Viminal and Esquiline, with the Caelian 
at the extrei ithwest Just north of these four are 

three more hills almost surrounding the bind of the Tiber. 

old Palatine Hill stands in the center, with the ( !apitoline 
it and the Aventine west, while in front, near the 



60 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

center of the bend in the river, is the location of the old 
bridge which was so nobly defended by Horatius. East 
of the old city stands the Pincian Hill, and just across the 
river, north of the city, are the Janiculum and Vatican Hills. 
These do not belong to the " Seven Hills/' but are closely 
connected with the history of the city. 

It is said that when you are in Rome it is well to do 
as the Romans do. In some respects, at least, this is true. 
Stores are closed at twelve o'clock, noon, and are not opened 
again until four P. M. During this hot part of the day 
people stay at home and in the shade. It is wise for strangers 
to observe the same custom if they would avoid sickness and 
fever. At four P. M. everything is opened again and kept 
in full operation until late at night. 

The first afternoon drive took in many places of inter- 
est, and the first church visited was Santa Maria Maggiore. 
Under the altar it is said the remains of St. Matthew repose 
awaiting the judgment day. Whether this is true I cannot 
prove, nor can I disprove it. At all events it is a grand 
old church first built in 352 A. D., but it has been rebuilt 
and remodeled many times since. It may be something 
like the boy's knife which had had three blades and two 
new handles, but was still the same old knife. Report claims 
that the paneled roof was gilded with the first gold brought 
to Spain from South America. 

The Forum of Trajan, next visited, is a remarkable 
union of Pagan, Christian, and Modern Rome. In the center 
of what is now a modern square is the imperial monument, 
the Column of Trajan, built in 14 A. D., in honor of the 



ROME. 61 

victories by that emperor over the Dacians. On top of the 

column now stands the statue of St. Peter. The column is 
still in a fine state of preservation. It is more than one 
hundred feet high, and from top to bottom is covered with 
scenes from the Dacian campaign. 

There is another column very much like this, which was 
ted in honor of Marcus Aurelius, but Marcus, like 
Trajan, was forced to come down centuries ago and St. 
Paul has taken his place on the top of the shaft. 

few minutes 1 drive brings us to a building almost 
one hundr rs older than Trajan's column, and yet it 

I of all the ancient buildings of Rome. 
It is the !' wenty-seven years before the be- 

gin] e Christian era. It was a beautiful temple in 

the d ith the finest mar- 

but tl 1 >ng since been taken off to adorn o 

buildings. As i >ne approaches it. nothing n but the bare 

k walls with a few holes at regular distances, where 

the marble co« ad been fastened to the brick wall. The 

rd "Pantheon" means all ^^l^: "ban" means all; 

"Th I; ban-American, you remember, means 

All-American. This temple was not Medicated to any par- 

'. but tO all i>;<><\<. The inside consists of a large 

hundred and forty-three feet in diameter, lighted 
only by a lar :ular opening in the center of the top, 

twenty in dial and is entirely open. In the 

the inside was beautifully decorated with 
gilt bronze, almost one-half million pounds having been used 
for tin's purpose. All of the bronze except the ancient d^^v<> 



62 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE* 

was taken away centuries ago. Still, it is a grand old mon- 
ument. It has been used as a Christian church for more 
than twelve hundred years, and has become the burial place 
of the distinguished painters and of the kings of Italy. 
Raphael and Victor Emanuel are buried there. 

From the Pantheon we drove directly to the Pincian 
hill to get a bird's eye view of Rome. This hill, located in 
the eastern part of the city, laid out with numerous paths 
and avenues, decorated with busts and statues in great pro- 
fusion, is the public park and promenade of Rome. We 
had hoped to see the King of Italy here, as he often rides 
through these grounds, but we were not gratified in this 
respect. What we did see was more interesting to me, how- 
ever, than all the modern kings and queens — the view was 
magnificent — stretching off to what was once the Campus 
Martius, beyond that, to the Tiber, still farther to the Vat- 
ican hill, at whose base stands St. Peter's, with its never 
to be forgotten dome, the glory of the world. Farther to 
the west, still north of the Tiber, is Alt. Janiculum, whose 
summit is crowned with an immense statue of Garibaldi, 
the Italian patriot; to our left is Rome itself scattered over 
its seven hills, and for two thousand years the ruler of the 
world. One object of interest after another is located for 
future examination; a person who has read of Rome from 
his childhood could stand on the Pincian hill for hours and 
dream of the picture spread out before him. The hill itself 
is interesting, and if these cypress trees could speak what 
stories they could tell of comedy and tragedy which have 
taken place before them. I think that you would enjoy read- 



ROME. 

ing Stoddard's lecture on Rome, lie tells in such an inter- 
ing way, so many things that happened on this hill. 
The king of all ruins is the Colosseum. Having failed 
to run across it while riding, a party of seven started <mi 
to find it after dark. Some claimed to have seen it during 
the day and were sure that they could find it at once. But 
they were mistaken, the whole party was soon lost in \ 
strange city, and not one of us could speak the langu; 
But the Italians arc quick to understand, and a few atl 
at the pronunciation of the name brought the desired infor- 
mation by the pointing of the finger. After wander 
around for some time and following in the direction poin 
out we suddenly came upon the object of our search — the 
grand, mournful, n SSeum. "To see it." savs 

Die! is to see the of old Rome, wicked, wonder- 

ful old city, haunting the very ground on which its people 
trod." Much i^ said of the impressivent -tun 

by moonlight. We were not so favored. The mo 
not due for several hours, there was no elect: 

by the dim glimmer of the distant street lamp we enU iv 1 
hty ample arches and were soon on the large 
ted in the center to keep from falling 

the old lion pit- and underground pi 

ly about all this, I am bound to admit 
Wh< • od, thousand iini> had been put to ,! 

in tl Or tk 

the mart] r d and at vari >us 

times during a p< ri »d of four hundred years met their 

almlv | a ma; t. But we w 



66 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE* 

alarmed, although we could see the uncertain forms of men 
moving among the arches and doubted the wisdom of our 
being there at that time of night, and alone. This vast 
structure was large enough to seat eighty-seven thousand 
people at one time. Although more than eighteen hundred 
years old, it is still substantial and likely to stand for ages. 
Much of it is being restored and protected from destruc- 
tion, for it is said that when the Colosseum falls, Rome 
will fall. 



LETTER VI. 

ROME - CONTINUED. 

The Colosseum. Hadrian's Tomb. St. Peters. The Vatican. The Roman 
Forum. The Palaces of the Caesars. The Arches of Triumph — Sep- 
timius Severus, Titus and Constantine. The Old Prison. " Quo Vadis." 
M St. Paul's Outside the Walls." Capitoline Hill. Final View from 
Janiculum Hill. 

ROME, July 28. 

DEAR CHILDREN: — We have just returned from 
Xaples and Pompeii, and as we have some time 
to wait before our train leaves for Florence, 
cpect to spend the Sabbath, I shall finish 
my begun s ireral days ago, 

[f I am 11 ' mistaken, I left you standing in the gloomy 
old Colosseum, without moon or electric light, meditating on 
the dark that had been enacted there in the early 

centuries of the Christian era. I am sure thai you would 
rather see the Colosseum by daylight. There is a fine picture 
of it in the assembly room of Central High school. You 

■ our hotel, get a go< >d night's 
shall take a morning ride across the Tiber, to the north 

r's, pr< >vided you have fully re- 
I from the fright of your night thoughts in the O 
m, that grim old skeleton of R f< rmer wickedn 

\\ < had t< 1 city many ti ad our 

w e pai - throu that have the ni 

things in tl .. illing to let us stop 

. h )t they get a small 
n all trade brought to the merchants in this way. 



68 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

As we approach the riv^r we can see beyond the mag- 
nificent tomb of the Emperor Hadrian. The bridge which 
we cross is comparatively new, not more than seventeen 
hundred years old, while the great sewer still in use, 
which opens into the Tiber some distance below, is seven 
hundred years older than this bridge. To be a bridge build- 
er in that early day w r as the height of every Roman's am- 
bition and " Pontifex Maximus " ("the greatest bridge 
builder") was the highest honor that could be conferred 
upon any man. The term, " pontiff " is still used when 
speaking of the pope. But we are now on the bridge and just 
ahead of us is the tomb of Hadrian. It looks more like a 
castle than a tomb. Little he thought that in so short a 
time the beautiful marble covering would be pried off, the 
dust of Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, and himself 
scattered to the four winds of heaven and the structure 
itself be used as a fortress. Yet all of these things have 
come to pass. In fact the name has been changed. 

It is no longer called Hadrian's tomb, but the castle of 
St. Angelus. It is said that near the close of the sixth 
century a great plague prevailed in Rome, which carried 
away thousands of lives. Many were the prayers offered 
by Pope Gregory, the Great, for the relief of the 
people. On one of these occasions, while crossing this 
bridge, he is said to have seen a vision of an arch- 
angel sheathing his sword, as if the work of death 
were done. The plague ceased and the name of the 
building was changed in honor of that event. Its sum- 
mit is now crowned with a colossal bronze statue of the 




l-.Al 




■ 






ROME — CONTINUED. <1 

holy angel repla is sword. A turn to the left and a 

short drive brings us in front of St. Peter's, The great 
square, with its curving colonnade on each side, its Egyptian 
obelisk and magnificent fountains are all that could be 
elisk, like the columns oi Trajan and Mar- 
urelius, shows the triumph of Christianity over Pa- 
gani ss which glitters above the obelisk is one 

hun nd thirty feel above the pavement, yet it does not 

building it it are so high. Tins obelisk is 

thing even in old Rome and no doubt seemed as 
ancient t<> \r : ii from Egypt more than 

n thousand year- his " Golden Age" of Ro- 

man his liie fountains are real. There is 

m see, hut a great 

f< >rth in a manner tl lies 

Rome has plent] I 

water and si without number. This one in 

nd tin- Tr< ntain. where the 

rth lik( are th lest. It is 

v. h< • drinks of the \\ at rrevi will see 

everybody drinks and • 
who hands him a cup- - but St. Peter's IS 

at the iV lie church from this point 

of • ■ pointed at the appearance of the dome. 

( tail; all par ring above the front ; it 

i far. And • : know thai the top of the 

le of tl hundred and im \ feel ab >ve the 

the cross on the outside is betw< en 



72 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

four hundred and forty and four hundred and seventy-five 
feet, according to the authorities which you have read. 
What a wonderful church, six hundred feet long, four hun- 
dred and seventy-five feet wide and one hundred and sixty 
feet high ! Marbles of the finest quality, decorations rich in 
gold, statues and paintings without stint are seen on all sides. 
And why not ? It cost more than sixty million, and for that 
amount of money ought to be beautiful. But let us follow 
Byron's advice and admit that we feel the effects of the 
growth which he describes so beautifully when he says : 

"Enter ; its graudeur overwhelms thee not ; 
And why? It is not lessened ; but thy mind, 
Expanded by the genius of the spot, 
Has grown colossal and can only find 
A fit abode wherein appear enshrined 
Thy hopes of immortality." 

The utmost freedom is allowed visitors. Even while 
services are being conducted at some of the altars, large 
parties are allowed to come and go at will. The inside 
does not seem so large, because everything is so symmetrical. 
But when you look at the people in the distance and com- 
pare them with the statues and even the figures in the great 
pictures about them, you begin to comprehend the size of the 
church. Under the high altar, whose porphyry columns are 
almost a hundred feet high, are buried the remains of the 
Apostle Peter, who was crucified near this place head down. 
So that the site of the circus of Nero is not only occupied 
by Peter's tomb, but by this grand church, the most mag- 
nificent monument of Christianity which the world contains. 



ROME CONTINUED. 75 

J cannot tell you all that I wish, but I am sure that you 
would like to look at the famous bronze statue of St. Peter. 
The statue is enthroned, the right foot extended. You will 
hardly believe me when I tell you that the bronze toe is 
aim st rn away by the lips of the thousands of people who 
have kissed it in passing. Many kiss it in the spirit of de- 
votion, but, no doubt, others do so because it is so customary. 
The Vatican, which is near by, is the residence of the 
pope. It contains four thousand rooms, but he uses very few 
of them himself. Anion-- the most interesting places in the 
n are the Sistine chapel, the art gallery, and the 11111- 
The Si-tine chapel is rather dingy now, but Michel- 
Judgment" will furnish material for 
ment. It is almost impossible to 
ainter g the archi 

ith its fine works of 

I and otl er i ■-. and the museum with its 

of Matin- and tin the past, would 

inter • days and weeks. I know thai you would 

" Apollo Belvedere," ! and 

in fact, by most con- 

• Id's in; It is jed to h 

whether it is of Italian 
You may nol know t 1 

rl of Italy no1 i' r 

and a, and that its quan the 

marble in I. Being but 

an iiu ible 



76 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

supply of working material for the artistically inclined peo- 
ple of that city. Not only were these quarries worked by 
the ancients but at the present time the annual output 
amounts to millions of dollars. A group, Laocoon, with his 
two sons, whose attack by the serpents from the sea is so 
vividly described by Virgil, is also very interesting. This 
is the original group from which all the Laocoon pictures 
that you see are taken. There are so many rare pieces of 
sculpture in this museum that space would fail me were I 
to attempt even to enumerate them. 

Every spot in Rome is historical, but there is one 
place no traveler should miss — it is the Roman Fo- 
rum. We have just made a hasty examination of the 
ruins of the palaces of the Caesars on the Palatine 
hill, where Romulus is said to have begun this city 
almost thirty centuries ago, when suddenly we come to 
a point where the hill ends abruptly. A magnificent view is 
presented from this point. Lying before us are the ruins 
of the celebrated Roman Forum. How these broken shafts 
and crumbling foundations could speak of deeds of glory 
and of dishonor, too, if they had but tongues ! It is a spot for 
observation and reflection. Almost in front of us are the 
ruins of the rostra from which Cicero and the other great 
Latin orators poured forth tnose words of eloquence whose 
influence not only reached all parts of the world known at 
that time, but have rung down through the ages and helped 
in the formation of all modern governments, especially of re- 
publics. For more than two thousand years Rome had had 
more power in the affairs of mankind than any other city 



ME — CONTINUED. 79 

in the world, and the Forum was the great center from which 
this energy was sent forth. Lo king to the left, the Cap- 
itoline hill stands up in its majesty; glories on one side, 
crimes on the other. From one of its steep sides, traitors and 

criminals were thrown over the Tarpeian reek. As the eye 

[< >w n the side of this hill and enters the Forum toward 

our I stately columns are seen, still supporting a 

mere fragment of the old wall of the temple of Saturn, built 

usand four hundred years ago. Near by is a group 

olumns, all that is left oi" the temple of Vespasian, 

built st six hundred years later. ( rlancing a little farther 

aloi triumphal arch of Septimius Severus is observed. 

Pooi d beneath this arch of victory, as 

lied in his efforts t<> crush illion at York, England, 

n completed. Near the arch a tine Roman 

roadwa; Forum. is an excellent picture 

rt of the Forum on the right side of the hall as 

enter the Public School Library, in Columbus, You may 

it. Again returnin ur point i 

on the Palatine hill, let the rye pass Over many 

interest in ' ruin to the right. It will so n fall mm the 

n of the ( '« >1< isseum. Bel w i en us and 

the arch of Titus in a good state of preser- 

[t marks th< f Jerusalem under the Em- 

ritus. Many of the - of that conflict were cut 

in tl the arch, among them the captive Jews 

iulders the golden candlesticks, trumpet 
of jubilee, and other treasures that formerly 1> 1 to 

Kin temple. A little farther to the right, 



80 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

almost obscured by the side of the hill, is the arch of Con- 
stantine. This was the last of the triumphal arches built, 
but it marks the first victory gained by a Christian monarch 
tinder the banner of the cross. Constantine became a Chris- 
tian. Fifteen years after this arch had been built, he 
marched out under it on his way to the Bosphorus, where 
he built a city that bears his own name — Constantinople. 
The last two arches mentioned are the best preserved of an- 
tiquity and are the models from which all modern arches 
are made. 

We must leave the ruined palaces of the Caesars and 
return to our hotel. In doing so we will drive through the 
Forum over the road mentioned before. On our way we 
shall stop a few minutes and look into the old prison not far 
from the arch of Septimius Severus, where Paul and Peter 
are said to have been confined. It is entered by a dark, nar- 
row stairway leading down about two stories below the sur- 
face of the earth. What a gloomy place ! No light, no fresh 
air, damp, dingy, and yet what courage was shown by these 
great martyrs for the sake of the truth when they defied 
the tyrant, Nero, and were " ready to be offered " that 
Christianity might live. " The time of my departure is at 
hand," wrote Paul, cheerfully. " I have fought the good 
fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith." 
Peter was no less courageous and the manner of his death 
was cruel in the extreme. 

I should like to have you ride out the Appian way, lined 
with marble monuments for miles, to see the little church of 
Quo Vadis. Peter, in one of his hours of discouragement, 



ROME CONTINUED. 83- 

is said to have met Jesus at this point, who said to him in 
Latin, " Quo Vadis," which means " Whither Goest Thou." 
A little chapel was built at this place many years afterwards 
by Christians and the spot where the Savior is supposed to 
have stood is marked on the floor. You would enjoy a 
ramble through the old ruins of the Baths of Caracalla, which 
were large enough to accommodate almost two thousand 
bathers at the same time. The dirt which had accumulated 
during the centuries of neglect has been hauled away, show- 

V floors of the many rooms, the de- 

s of no two being the same. A drive down the Ostium 

Paul's on the walls" is a delight. In 

making it. we may go through the Arch of Constantine, | 

a real pyramid by the which is one hundred and sixteen 

high, an* 1 nous hill more than one hundred 

entirely of broken pottery, but now. 

rse, over n with vegetation. St. Paul's outside the 

walls e of the m s ' autiful churches in Europe. We 

had the pleasure of attending a wedding here. A few hours 

r we met the couple that had been married in St. Paul's 

• of the Temple of Justice, on the Capitoline hill, 

they had been married a second time. Thai 

■o it not? It is simple enough, however. The 
law of Italy requires every marriag mony to be ; 

formed by the civil authorities in order to be legal, but 

man the churcl arly that they wish tO be married 

there, so that in such c are two ceremoni 

in the church and one ' a civil magistrate. 



84 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

On the afternoon of the same day as we took the train 
for Naples, this same couple started on their wedding tour. 
The bride had never ridden on the cars before and was so 
afraid that she cried, but after the train had started and 
she became accustomed to it, she really seemed quite happy. 
I intended to tell you all about that trip in this letter, but it 
has grown out of all proportion. Besides the train for 
Florence is about ready to start, and if I have time to write 
you from that city I shall tell you about Naples and Pompeii. 
I have omitted a great many things in Rome that you would 
like to know about, but it would take a great many letters to 
include all. Before leaving Rome, we went to the top of 
the Janiculum hill, northwest of the city, to get a parting 
bird's eye view. It was grand. Across the valley was the 
Pincian hill, on which we had stood on that first afternoon, 
while between it and us lay the Eternal City, with the 
churches, columns, monuments, and temples which we had 
visited, and winding through them all was old Father 
Tiber himself, his surface still yellow with the clay of the 
mountains. As we turned to leave, we could only say 
" Goodby, thought inspiring old Rome, we must now leave 
you, but we are quite sure that the memory of you will never 
leave us." 



■ 



4 







LETTER VII. 

NAPLESj POMPEII, AND FLORENCE. 

Journey to Naples Capua. Mt. V Herculaneum and Pompeii. What 

v. Up the Valley of the Tiber by Lake Ti 
an.l Down the Arno to Florence The Cathedral vi Florence. Bell 
Tower and Baptistery. The Great Men oi Florence. The Art Galleries. 

and tlie Arno. A Drive Through Floret : hie Oi David. 

A the D( 

Florence, [taly, July 29. 

DEAR CHILDREN: — ] promised in my last letter 
mailed at Rome to tell you something about 
our trip to Maples and Pompeii. I must keep 
my • The run from Rome to Maples is through 

a very interesting part of Italy. For several miles, as the 

theasl from the city of the Caesars, parts 

of the ruin- of the Claudian aqueduct appear and disappear 

in in rapid succession, while only a short distance to the 

1 various monuments on the Appian Way are seen p 

by in majestic procession. Silvio Maxxaleni, our Roman 

le, consented to make the trip to Naples and return with 

IK- is an intelligent man, well posted in the raphy 

and his f the country, speaks good English, and 

any information on the slightest intima- 

it . As we appr tached the \ '• ilscian hills, 

he 1 tion of Alba 1 / tie of the first 

1 will find in your Roman history. The 

1 >ne hundred and two 

mil, bus to [ndianapt >lis, In 

hills with 
;ely built "Id n the \ ummit Perhaps 



88 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

the most interesting of these is Cassino, with its world-re- 
nowned and magnificent Benedictine monastery of Monte 
Cassino. The imposing effect of this grand structure as 
viewed from the approaching train will not soon be forgot- 
ten. Standing out on the broad plain of Campagna Felice, 
a little less than thirty miles from Naples, is Capua. " What 
a dingy old town !" exclaimed a lady as we approached that 
old city. " It has not always been so/' said a wide-awake 
Columbus teacher. Although Capua has only about fourteen 
thousand inhabitants now, there was a time when she con- 
tained many hundreds of thousands. Some of the finest Ro- 
man remains anywhere to be found are here, among them 
being an amphitheater whose capacity was only excelled in 
Italy by the Colosseum itself. Capua unintentionally weak- 
ened Hannibal in a way that Roman arms were unabie to do. 
In the three great battles of Trebia, of Lake Trasimenus, and 
of Cannae, the Romans had been fearfully defeated and for 
two years the Cathaginians had overrun Italy at will. Han- 
nibal might have entered Rome on at least two occasions, but 
chose not to do so. The last winter he spent in Capua. The 
hospitality of the city, which was then rich and powerful, 
was more than his soldiers were able to stand. While they 
were accustomed to the hardships of camp life, no army 
which Rome could send against them was able to defeat them. 
A few months of luxury and idleness changed all. The 
comforts of Capua were a greater misfortune to Hannibal's 
army than the loss of many battles. Many young men are 
defeated in just the same way. Smart, ambitious, indus- 
trious, too much eating and drinking and idleness soon 



:i, AN1 CE. 

ruin them. I hope that you will never spend a winter in 
Capua. 

ry- 
on the n at 

uld be 

i 
!ertainly Vesuvius yet 

ue. 1 1 ken 

am rolli untain, 

tiful farms 

I 

irer 
with I une 

• 



92 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

how people lived eighteen centuries ago. As stated before, 
it was covered up by lighter materials and hence excavating 
is not so difficult and has been carried on extensively. Pom- 
peii has had a rather uncertain history. For nearly five 
hundred years it was a Greek commercial city. Just before 
the beginning of the Christian era the city was conquered by 
the Romans and became a favorite resort for Roman nobles 
and even emperors. Only sixteen years before it was covered 
by the volcano it had been racked and almost destroyed by an 
earthquake. Scarcely had it recovered from the effects of 
the earthquake when this mantle of ashes was spread over 
it, and for seventeen hundred and fifty years its silence was 
undisturbed. So complete was this covering that the farm- 
ers of those regions tilled the soil over it, planted their vine- 
yards, and gathered their crops, unconscious of the fact that 
a dead city lay beneath them. The excavations have 
been extensive. Street after street has been cleared of its 
covering, and shops, halls, and dwellings found as they were 
left on that awful day. There is no better place to study 
social life as it then existed. The intervening ages have 
added no changes to the brick or stone buildings of those 
distant centuries, when the people built as giants but their 
lives were by no means the lives of the just. There are the 
temples of the gods, the theaters, the forums, the triumphal 
arches, all giving testimony to the religious fervor, the 
amusement loving, and the business and public activity 
of the people. The bakery, the barber shop, the fountains, 
physician's house, and places for the sale of statuary are all 
easily located by the usual signs or instruments found in 



NAPLES, POMPEII, AND FLORENCE. 

them. A notice of an election posted up a few days before 
the eruption of the volcano is easily read. The vote was 
never taken. All is silent now and the burning sun of a hot 
July day fell from a cloudless sky upon the vacant streets 
and empty palaces with wonderful force. The museum is 
full of interesting relics that have been found as the excava- 
tions have been carried on. I am sure that you would be 
itly entertained and instructed if you were now to read 
ilwer's "Last Days of Pompeii." 

Early in the evening we returned to Naples well pleased 
wi:h " lir '' * Naples itself is really a modern city of 

half a million people and has very little of historical or 
Sural interest to the traveler. Its chief beauty is its 
location. The bay is one of the finest in the world, SUT- 
r " l ' n ' k,<1 ''>■ a nificenl scenery and rich in myth- 

md hist. >rv. There are some unsurpassed views. Per- 
haps the finest in Italy is obtained from the nil] just west 

••1 the city. Although the time given to this side t: 

It, it will be long remembered by us all. 'Hie one great 
bat we did not have time to go to the top of 

while we wer near. But where then 

nddon lething must be omitted unl 

n lengthen the days or take years insi 

m. a. 

uv for this eit : . rday morning and 

cai " horl tr 

and : to Silvi. ,,, wc 

followed the I iber almost to its so-. 
intains from whirl, the waters of th 



94 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

yellow color. Lake Trasymene (Trasimenus) is one of the 
most interesting points between Rome and Florence. Here 
Hannibal gained one of iiis great victories over the Romans 
in 217 B. C. Had Hannibal followed up his victory at this 
time, Rome certainly would have fallen and the world's his- 
tory would have been changed. As seen from the train it is 
a beautiful sheet of water surrounded by a fertile and well 
cultivated country. At Arezzo, the birthplace of Petrarch 
and a number of famous men, we struck the valley of the 
Arno river, which we followed to Florence. 

The country is like a garden, but is carefully irrigated. 
You may remember the picture in your Advanced Geography 
showing how this is done in some of the western states of 
our own country. 

About five o'clock this morning I was awakened 
by the chimes of bells so near that I got up to open 
the window blinds to see where they w f ere. Imagine my 
surprise to find that only a half square away stood the 
great bell tower designed by Giotto (jotto) which is more 
than three hundred feet high. Near by it is the great cathe- 
dral of Florence, with its dome three hundred and forty-two 
feet nigh, the first of the kind ever built. Under the shadow 
of the cathedral is the baptistery. These three objects are 
among the most interesting things in Florence and appeared 
even brilliant in the light of the early morning sun. They 
are all built of variegated marble of the most costly kind and 
impress one with the idea that they belong to the present 
time and not to ruins of the past of which we have recently 
seen so much. From an architectural point of view, the 




■ 
CATHEDRAL AND CAMPANILE, FLORENCE, ITALY. 



NAPL MPEIIj AND FLOREN( 

bell to*, he finest, no me 

most because it was the first ever built .veil 

as in :t in decoration. In building it, Brunelleschi, 

the vt. inn There w .; in 

adniire^! so much as this 
ie. 1 lis d< tne for St. but not 

this one, after which he modeled it. 
u will wonder why I was surprised at finding tl 
gra > so near us this morning. We did not reach 

irk last night. By the time we had 
•au-n our s ind retired for the night 

ated that one can 
from his bed these m 
i indeed. ri 1 to 

made 
rhere ifluence 

felt in tl the 

Vespucci, tl nte, the poet ; 

inter • and 

and 
mes that will live in histor) . art 

a number i d ith un- 

n names and yet i 
art. 

ibly 
Pitti. 

are 

at, in the world 



98 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

is quarried, is only sixty-two miles away and Florence pro- 
duces the sculptors. The " Loggia/' as it is called, is noth- 
ing more than an open corridor facing the square in which 
Savonarola was burned at the stake. Here the children may 
play hide and seek among the finest pieces of marble statuary, 
any one of which would be guarded with greatest care as a 
priceless gem if it were in Columbus. It is said that every 
little Florentine boy expects some day to become a sculptor. 
If the presence of fine marble statuary will produce such a 
result, the chances are in favor of these boys. 

A visit to each of these galleries would be enjoyed, but 
you would not remember all that you would see, so in a 
brief letter a list will not be attempted even. There is one 
picture, however, in the Pitti gallery which you would not 
soon forget. It is the "Madonna of the Chair/' by Raphael. 
Of this you have seen a great many beautiful photographs, 
but there is nothing to compare with the picture itself. It is 
natural, the mother's face is full of tenderest love and pride 
in her son who clings to her with deepest trust and devotion. 
Of course, all of the madonnas have a religious significance 
which Raphael more nearly reaches than any otner painter, 
I think. There is a seriousness of expression about the 
Christ-child that at once distinguishes him from ordinary 
children. The other boy in the picture is John the Baptist. 
His eyes are fixed on the infant Savior and his hands clasped 
in ardent worship far beyond his years. 

ricrence has an unusually fine location. It is situated 
on the Arno river and is surrounded by beautiful undulating 
hills affording many charming views. The river is crossed 



POMPEII, AND FLORENCE. 99 

by a number of bridges, one of which, the "Ponte Yecchio," 
is different from any other which I have ever seen. Except 
for a short distance at the center ir is two stories high and 
is lined on both sides by little shop;, or - 

There are many delightful drives. One of these is out to 

hill on which stood for nearly four hundred years Michel- 

:amous statue of David. After having stood the 

storms from 1504 to 1S82, the marble statue was removed 

to the National museum and a bronze statue of David placed 

on the lull in its stead. This IS sai/i to be almost a perfect 

likeness of th< al. tts vast proportions and conspicuous 

ation renders it visil r many miles. The view From 

hill. ;.- nit i fill view ), 

d. The city in I rentine 

r una. ( H c the 

Objects are the bell tower and th< 
don .iiU 

of view, one can easily understand what Michelangelo meant 

ted to . the architect 

it's : 

tcr 

d, 1'iit 11 -t m< itiful." 

\\ '< led this hill by a winding road fro 

to t- d the Arno over one of it^ six ! 

dr<>-. •' Michelangelo, Dante, and I 

1 ■ named with 

in incident in the lib- <>i" John Milton. \\ young 

man ' then and blind. 



100 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

Milton's sympathy for the blind philosopher was genuine, 
although he little realized that he himself would suffer the 
same misfortune. No doubt this incident often came to 
the mind of the stern old Puritan in after years when he, 
too, was blind and dictated to his daughter his celebrated 
poem, "Paradise Lost." 

A drive through the park to the cemeteries is a rare 
treat. The cemeteries of Florence are interesting spots be- 
cause they contain the remains of persons whose names are 
familiar to Americans, among them are Mrs. Browning, Sal- 
vini, and others. The Chapel of the Princess, erected by the 
Medici, that great family which figured so prominently in 
European history, is a handsome memorial. This chapel cost 
four million four hundred thousand dollars and contains the 
tombs of that illustrious family. But all the work which the 
great master sculptor bestowed on " Twilight," " Dawn," 
" Day " and " Night," the great pieces to be seen in the 
new sacristy of this chapel, cannot add new luster to the stars 
in the crowns of some of these princes or take away the stain 
of one jot of the innocent blood which was shed by others. 

We shall leave to-morrow morning for Venice. We 
shall cross the Apennine mountains and pass through the 
old cities of Bologna and Padua. I am sure that it will be 
an interesting trip. I should like to remain much longer in 
Florence. It seems to me that it would be an ideal place in 
which to spend a winter. 



LETTER VIII. 

VI 

:ion of I 

E, Aug 

DILDREN :- m to 

look over the Florentine bills last Monday 
morning when all of r party wer 
r 

lied 
in | . and wait 

aw' 

coir' 

thin nil- 

I 

and \\;i\ • 

• learn 
an : • had been mad« 

It 

t until we reached 



102 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

murder were made known. The people as a whole love 
their king and are filled with sorrow on account of his 
untimely death. He was a generous, just ruler, and has 
done much for Italy, and his murder must prove a great 
misfortune. 

Never did the early morning sun shine more beauti- 
fully than while we w T ere pulling across the rich Tuscan 
plains, " the garden of Italy," to Pistoja, an ancient town 
at the foot of the Apennines and about twenty miles from 
Florence. It may be interesting to know that the first pistols 
were made in this town, and that is why they are called 
pistols. Here, too, Catiline, the great conspirator against 
Rome, was defeated and killed nearly two thousand years 
ago. For sixty miles from Pistoja to Bologna beautiful 
landscapes and wild scenery greeted the eye on all sides. 
Forty-five tunnels were threaded in which the scenery was 
not so attractive, but the galleries, bridges, viaducts, and 
embankments which came in uninterrupted succession, 
afforded delightful views up the mountain sides and down 
the valleys. The Apennines are not high like the Alps nor 
so rugged, but like the Jura mountains are cultivated to the 
very summits and the landscape is dotted here and there 
by the comfortable homes of the mountaineers. 

At Bologna the signs of mourning for the murdered 
king began, and from here to Venice, flags were at 
half-mast, and a silent, respectful bearing was shown 
on all sides. The railroad runs through a wonderfully 
fertile plain crossing a number of small rivers and 
respectable creeks, and at Ferrara, the Po, the largest and 



VENICE. 103 

best-known river of Italy, if we may except the Tiber. A 
short stop was made at Padua, some twenty-five miles from 
Venice, but not long enough to see the city. Nevertheless 
the eye wistfully sought the spires and domes and trees 
locate the old university from which graduated Savonarola, 
Tasso, Petrarch, and Galileo. On we pressed over a regular 
Western prairie and at last dashed out into the sea. Venice 
is located on a hundred islands, the nearest one to the shore 
being more than two miles away. This the railroad 
approaches over a long bridge consisting of two hundred 
and twenty-two arches and embankments. As the train 
started out on its sea voyage, the tall buildings and steeples 
of the city lifting their lofty heads out of the water appeared 
strange indeed. Soon the station was reached. There 
r bustle, so common to all other rail 

the breathing of the engine and I 
hum of voices, which seemed to be frightened at their own 
sound. We walked to the front, passed outside the station, 
and came sudden stop. There was the Grand canal 

before us. All \ ' nt — no rattle of wheels, no cla 

of feet on a stone pavement, no cab drivers pushing f 
1 for recognition .and a chance to drive us to our hotel. 
painful. In a few seconds, it seemed like 
minutes, a nicely dressed gentleman stepped up and 
said: " I hav( ndolas for your party." Then 

a ripple of laughter that rose above the ripple of 
. and the ladies had found their tongues. The 
rapidity with which tl 

Is, iii each, and shoved off, would 



104 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

fill a Scioto river boatman with envy. But where were we 
going? There we sat on our cushioned seats as helpless 
as children, while our gondolier, in white pants, red shirt 
waist, and blue cap, stood on the boat behind us, and with 
his single oar sent it skimming over the water like a swan. 
We followed the Grand canal for a short distance and then 
shot into a watery alley, across ponds perhaps I should 
say, and soon came out again into the Grand canal, which 
runs through the city in the form of a large letter " S." No 
voices of people talking on the sidewalks are to be heard, 
for the simple reason that there are no sidewalks. The 
houses rise out of the water, their marble steps washed by 
the waves produced by our passing boat. Soon we pulled 
up alongside the marble steps of a substantial looking old 
building where we read in large letters, " Grand Hotel." 
We did not grab our satchels, jump out or rush up to the 
steps to be the first to register, nothing of the kind. We 
simply waited until our turn came, and then stepped out 
with the polite assistance of the porter and took our time 
like everybody else. 

I have not yet decided whether Venice is a good place 
for boys and girls or not. In the first place, there is not 
much room for running or playing, and I am sure that a 
football would soon become water-soaked. There are no 
horses or cows and not even a dog has come under my 
notice. Think of a city without dogs — that certainly would 
be no place for boys. There are no doubt hundreds of 
children in Venice who have never seen a horse. The city 
has its pets, however, they are the thousands of pigeons 



to be [ 5 [uare. A l< the 

pig- t the Veneti; n, and that 

time they have been very kind to them, and will not allow 
any i kill them, i six hundred year 

andia. The admi- 
ral - ly flyinj 

that they wer something for tl my. 

A few were sl id under their win 

land that h i\ 
soon come to tli- Acting on this inf the 

and ca] 
I 

■ 

- 
oft 

un- 

think of the 

hem 

i 

■ 

Tl 



108 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

has bushels of fun, and the pigeons get plenty to eat. But 
even boys and girls would not want to feed pigeons all the 
time. You would enjoy boat riding, of course, but then 
you would have to sit so still that I imagine that you would 
soon want to get out and wade. But if you wish to become 
a sailor, then Venice is the place for you, for it is pre-emi- 
nently the city of the sea. 

I have said that the city is built on a hundred islands. 
To be a little more exact, there are one hundred and seven- 
teen islands. A strange place in which to build a city ! But 
when we understand the facts, it does not seem so strange. 
Over fourteen hundred years ago, Italy was overrun by 
fierce barbarians from the north, who spared neither prop- 
erty nor life. To escape the sword of these barbarians, a 
few men fled with their families to these low and unin- 
habited islands of the Adriatic. At first they lived by fish- 
ing and came to love their island homes. 

Their sons built boats and soon began to carry on trade. 
As the years rolled by, the barbarians were driven back over 
the mountains to the north, and a town sprang up on these 
little islands w T hich carried on a trade with the mainland. 
The Venetian boys were so accustomed to the water that 
they made the best of sailors. Thus her merchants were 
able to send ships and trade with all cities on the sea, and 
brought merchandise and riches to the city of Venice. Soon 
solid foundations were sunk in the sand at great expense 
and marble palaces sprang up at the very edge of the water. 
It is said that the foundations of Venice cost more than 



VENICE. 109 

all of her marble buildings, but her people did not want to 
live anywhere else. 

There are two places of special interest in Venice — 
St. Mark's square and the Rialto. The main street is the 
Grand canal. We can hardly call it a street, but it answers 
the same purpose for large boats which stop at frequent 
stations, run up and down at regular intervals like the street 
cars on High street in Columbus or Broadway in New 
York. The gondolas would correspond to the carriages, 
cabs, and buggies. But there is nothing to take the place of 
the bicycle, as everybody must ride in a boat or swim. As 
stated before, the Grand canal is in the form of a huge 

r " S," and is about two miles long, and from one hun- 
dred and fifty feet to one hundred and eighty feet wide. 
A beautiful sheet of water, fairly alive with boats and gon- 
dolas. One hundred and forty or more liquid streets branch 
off from the Grand canal and wind through the city in 
different directions. 

. Mark's square is the great central point of the city. 
It is surrounded by old-time palaces, St. Mark's cathedral, 
and the palace of the Doges. In one corner stands the 

tpanile (Bell tower), which is three hundred and twenty- 

■; high, and one thousand years old. The palaces and 

■r public building closed on account of the death of 

So we shall ascend the tower and take a bird's 

[ the city and its surroundings. It has i ator 

and You will wonder how \w are to get to 

the top. It i h, A I, inclined plane, «>r 

round on the in m the bottom up. ( >f 



110 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

course, it is like walking up hill, but is not very steep. The 
view from the top is well worth all the effort which it costs 
to make the ascent. Beneath you lies the decaying old city, 
its liquid streets and moldering palaces spread out like a 
map before you. Stretching along for several miles and 
lying but a short distance east of the city is a long, narrow 
sand bank which shuts off the Atlantic proper from the 
lagoon in which the city is built. Wonderful city — for 
more than three hundred years the chief seaport of the 
world! Just across the long bridge is the main land of 
Italy. As the eye sweeps northward, the Tyrolese Alps of 
Austria are in view, while in the dim distance eastward 
across the Adriatic the outlines of the Istrian Alps are 
faintly seen. But here is St. Mark's with its five domes, 
one large one in the center and four smaller ones represent- 
ing each of them an arm of the cross, and its Gothic pinna- 
cles, a strange combination of Mohammedan and Christian 
architecture now T here else to be found. A fine description 
of this church is given by Ruskin in "Stones of Venice/' 
vol. II. I have said that there are no horses in Venice. I 
will have to take that back. Here standing over the en- 
trance to the cathedral, there are four as fine as I have ever 
seen. They are travelers, too. Their first trip was from 
Rome to Constantinople with Constantine the Great. They 
remained in that city for nine hundred years, looking out 
over the Bosphorus. Then when Constantinople fell they 
were brought to Venice and stood over the portal at St. 
Mark's for five hundred years. When Napoleon conquered 
Italy about one hundred years ago, he drove them off to 




mm. . r. 

>■ ♦ V'' 





t \ * * J 



THf PfHM, P| 



CHURCH AND CAMPANILE VENICE 



VENK US 

Paris. After the battle of Waterloo, Venice was allowed 
to take them back, and they are again seen standing over 

of St. Mark's. How old are these hon 
will ask? I do not know; but it is certain that they were 
carried to Rome during the days of Nero and attached to 
Ins golden chariot. They are made of br and are 

likely to last for thousands of years to come. So that it 
happens that while Venice has no living horses, she lias 
the most interesting bronze statues of horses in the world. 
Uppose that the amount of wealth spent in adorning St. 
's will never he known, but with all the precious 
lor d marbles from Ephesus, Smyrna, 
ntinople, and even Jerusalem; with all its decorations 
of gold, the worshiping soul can get no nearer its maker 
in St. Mark's, often called the "Church i [/■ than in 

td most modest chapel in the city of Columl 
I should like to take you through the palace oi the [> 
(dukes), but time will net permit. It is full of Venetian 
The royal rooms, council chambers, vie. are richly 
ed with pictures intimately connected with the life 
•• The gloomy cells .show with what severity 
punishment was me ted out to offenders. The "Bridge of 

n calls it. connects the palace with -he 

and few of those who passed over ever returned 

1 ,n tlh ' ^T'aiv facing the Grand canal and almost in 
fp,nt of tl,r (1,lral Palace, an- two granite columns which 

ria about eight hundred j 
0,1 ^ &tue of St Theodore, on the other 



114 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

the Winged Lion of St. Mark. Between these two col- 
umns for centuries the scaffold stood on which criminals 
were executed, but now the peace-loving tourist steps be- 
tween them to call his gondolier, and is soon borne away 
from their harmless shadows on the bosom of the quiet 
waters. 

The other point of greatest interest in Venice is the 
Rialto. This is a bridge over the Grand canal. It con- 
sists of a single arch of marble, whose foundation is a 
mass of twelve thousand elm trunks, 'driven into the ground 
from ten to twelve feet. For centuries this was the only 
bridge that spanned the Grand canal. Near by is the mar- 
ket and the house in which Shakspeare's celebrated Shy- 
lock is supposed to have lived. How often he and other 
great merchants of Venice met on the Rialto and discussed 
great financial questions, watching meanwhile the passing 
vessels laden with the wealth of the Orient ! In Shylock's 
house the window is pointed out from which Jessica escaped. 
One may not believe all he hears, but the best way to do is 
to keep quiet and listen. Just two doors from our hotel ib 
the house of Desdemona, and on the opposite side a little 
farther up, or down, according to which way the slight 
Adriatic tide is flowing, the Browning home is located. 

There are many things to enjoy in and about Venice, 
but I think that the trips up and down the Grand canal in 
and out among the boats and through the smaller canals, 
under the numerous bridges that cross them, are the most 
interesting. Every evening we have taken one of these 



VENICE. 115 

little excursions in the moonlight, and have doubtk 
Venice at her best. 

Sea bathing is cheaper here than at any place that I 
have ever visited. A steamer is taken near St. Mark's 
square for Lido, located on the other side of the sandbank 
mentioned before. Its beach is washed by the warm waters 
of the Adriatic. One lire (20 cents) covers the boat ride 
over and back, including street car fare both ways across 
the island and sea bath, including bathing suit complete. 
X- greater enjoyment can be found. The water is de- 
lightful, the swell just enough to be enjoyable, and the clear 

as blue as the sea itself. Looking out over the surface 
of the Adriatic, sail after sail may 1 1 gliding over its 

peaceful surface. There are many sails of different 
One afternoon 1 counted twenty-three that were red, be- 
sides many that were white and blue. These reflecting 
the clear light of the evening Mm were like a dream in 
fairy land. At such a time one can truly say: This is m- 

I the bride of the sea, fair Venice, the queen of the 
Adriatic. 



LETTER IX. 

NORTHERN ITALY. 

A Trip Across the Plains of Lorabardy. Verona. Milan. History of Milan. 
Italian Ministers. Monza. St. Ambrogio. Santa Maria Delia Grazie. 
Picture of the "Last Supper." The Cathedral of Milan. On the Roof 
Among the Pinnacles and Marble Statues. View from the Cathedral 
Spire. "The Builders." 

Milan, August 3. 

DEAR CHILDREN : — The low rumbling of distant 
thunder that comes in through my open window 
is a pleasant reminder of Ohio, and its fre- 
quent summer showers. This is one of the three great 
cities of Italy, and it has a history as rich as it is inter- 
esting. We were sorry to leave Venice, with its " liquid 
street " and decaying splendor, but the beautiful pros- 
pect of northern Italy and the plains of Lombardy 
have repaid us for the loss sustained by our departure from 
the "Carthage of the Middle Ages," as Venice is sometimes 
called. The run from Venice to Milan requires about five 
hours. It was necessary to retrace our way over the long 
bridge, through Padua, said to have been founded by Ante- 
nor, the brother-in-law of Priam, king of ancient Troy. 
Beautiful scenery and a rich country lined our way from the 
beginning to the end of our journey. At Verona a short 
stop was made. Located on the Adige at the foot of the 
Tyrolese Alps, it enjoys a wealth of comfort and scenery 
given to but few cities. It stands at the entrance of one of 
the passes of the Alps and is strongly fortified on all sides by 
earthworks and buried cannon. Down this pass the Goths, 



NORTHERN ITALY. 117 

Germans, and other barbarians of antiquity descended upon 
Italy. The Austrians of modern times would likely come the 
same way should trouble arise between them and the [tall! 
The more peaceful locomotive has the right of way now, and 
may we not hope that the iron horse will have more influence 
in the future than the "iron hand of Lombardy" has ever 
had in the The distant mountains, the long stretch of 

lakes, and the rich plains over which our train sped on its 
way was a constant source of enjoyment long- to be remem- 
bered. So rich are these plains that they have been known 
- many as twelve crops a year. 
ilan is beautiful and has always been an enterprising 
Many people are troubled with the pronunciation <>( 
[f you are an Englishman you accent the first 
sylla jiving the vowel the short sound; if you an 

ichman, you accent the last syllable; if you are an 
Italian, you spell it Milano, and accent the middle sylla 1 
but if you are an American, you take your choice and ask no 

Once an Irishman was asked how to pronounce the 

her." lie said: "That all depends Upon your 

nationality. If you are an Englishman you pronounce it 

re an American you pronounce it 'ne-ther;' 
but ii' you are an Iridinian you pronounce it 'na -ther,' and, 

. I'm thinking that 'na-ther' is right." 
Tin d law obtains among Americans travel- 

Milan has a rich history. It i- nearly twenty-five hun- 
dred years old and has been 1. more or less, by all 



118 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

of the great European changes. It names five popes among 
its children and Virgil among its students. Your history 
of Rome will tell you that Co-nstantine, the first Christian 
emperor, issued his decree from Milan in the year 313 A. D., 
making Christianity the state religion of the Roman empire. 
When the empire was divided, Milan became the seat of 
government for the emperor of the West. This was cer- 
tainly very fitting, for, located at the foot of the Alps, it 
gave him a better chance to personally guard his Roman pos- 
sessions from the barbarians of the North than would have 
been possible from any other point. Even in those early 
days, we are told that the people were polished and liberal 
and dwelt in palatial homes. Although downtrodden by 
Alaric, Attila, and other barbarians, although burned to the 
ground by Frederick Barbarossa, and her people scattered 
to the plains, out of the ashes Milan sprang, more splendid, 
more beautiful than before, the gem of northern Italy and 
the pride of the Lombards. 

While waiting for our suppers we enjoyed the rare 
privilege of seeing the Italian ministers, who had come up 
from Rome to ask that the body of the murdered king, now 
lying in state at Monza, be buried in the Pantheon. They are 
a genteel, modest appearing body of men, and, although hav- 
ing their own dining room, mingle freely with the guests of 
the hotel. It is hardly necessary to say that the royal family 
has granted the request, and Humbert II will soon sleep with 
Raphael and Victor Emanuel beneath the old dome on the 
banks of the Tiber. 



I 




. - 


4? 


■ 




























H ^-"P 




" *■ ii 




• 








1 


v*3 



RTHERN ITA! 1-1 

We were out early this morning-, anxious to see the 

sights, and fir all, to catch a glimpse of th< ca- 

:ilt of purest white marble, with its turrets and 

acles and statues by the thousands. There it stands 

. but we will not enter now. Like St. Pet 

m the front, it is in a degree disappointing, so 

symmetrical are its parts. The central spire rising up from 

the middle of the building does not seem so high, with 

all its surrounding pinnacles, and yet we know that it is 

three hundred and sixty feet high, and I afterwards took 

four hundred and ninety-four to reach the top. 

We drove t. Ami found- 

Ambrose, soon after the empire had embraced 
Chri y under I ntine. Here, in A. P. 387, St. 

tine wa verted ianity and baptized by 

St. Ambrose. In front church. th< an open court, 

under the trees of which stands the pillar where the Loml 
kind's and German em] ned with the "i 

which is kept among the treasures 
of the royal | nza, only Milan, 

about which we read SO much in history. 

vupied by the church 1 1 an 

ancient temple of Bacchus, many of the unmistakable re- 
mains of which n ;upport the walls of this Chris- 
tian temple. Kt\ many relics the 

bra/en aid t" be ; ■ lined up b\ ' } til the 

wildem ted thi ined in the smile 

that passed around the entir but when he she 

tis the and • >f the cuted in ike 



122 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

835 A. D., one of our gentlemen again laughed. The guide 
colored up quickly and said sharply : "You may laugh at 
the truth, but America will have to wait a thousand years 
before she can show anything so remarkable for richness 
and beauty of design and for antiquity." The statement 
passed unchallenged for America does not boast of her 
great age. 

From St. Ambrogio we drove to Santa Maria Delia 
Grazie, known to the world for its celebrated picture of the 
"Last Supper," by Leonardo de Vinci. We have already 
mentioned this great painter in our letter from Florence. He 
was a man of broad attainments in education outside of art. 
Before his time no one had attempted to represent dramatic 
action or excitement in position; on the contrary, figures 
had been crowded together in positions, awkward and 
even grotesque. In the "Last Supper" the personal dignity 
and ease of action are the distinguishing characteristics of 
the figures painted. It must have been a wonderful picture 
when the painter's brush had given the final touches. Even 
now it possesses qualities which are admired by every 
thoughtful observer, and is never surpassed by the finest 
copies. It has passed through many misfortunes from smoke 
and dampness. The chapel was once used by Napoleon as 
a stable, and a door was cut through the lower part of the 
table, yet, in spite of this and the peeling off that would be 
natural under such circumstances, "There is not one of the 
thirteen countenances that does not retain its expression, 
and not one of the thirteen figures whose attitude and 
action may not be traced throughout." The picture has been 



NORTHERN ITALY. 123 

restored three times — in 1726, in 1770, and 1826 — still the 
foundation is the same and the work especially De Vinci's, 
marks a new era in art. Says Goethe : 'The artist rep- 
resents the peaceful little band round the sacred table as 
thunderstruck by the Master's words, 'One of you shall 
betray Me.' The whole company is in dismay, while He 
bows His head with downcast eyes. His whole attitude 
seems 10 repeat with heavenly resignation, and his silence to 
confirm His mournful words, 'One of you shall betray Me.' ' 
The next time you see a copy of this great picture try to 
understand it as Goethe dici. 

Wui the most interesting object in Milan is the great 

edral, which we look at more carefully now outside and 
in. There it stands, colossal, magnificent, the most remark- 
able: and richest church 5, and next to St. 
Peter's, the largest in the world. Jt is appropriately called 
the eighth wonder of the world, and is not yet complete. 
It has been said that only an architect's eye can detect its 
defects. However, with the hint of our guide, it was 1 
to note the classic doors in the otherwise purely Gothic front. 
are now being- changed, and in a few years unity 
will characterize the entire structure. 
You can get some idea of the size of the church when 

11 you that it holds forty thousand people. But says 
Hrlliards: "It is not merely size and height or elaborate 
detail or -brines blazing with gold and silver or windows 
that arrest and fix all the changing hue- of the sunset that 
gives this structure its power and significance. A spirit 
hangs Over them which illumes what is dark and raises 



124 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

what is low. Their shadows are as healing to the soul as 
that of St. Peter's was to the body." 

On entering the cathedral there is a mingled feeling of 
admiration and devotion. Durand has compared the interior 
to a German forest, which I think gives one a very good 
idea of it as a whole. Four rows of immense eight-sided 
columns, twelve feet in diameter, that stand up like gigantic 
oaks, run the entire length of the building. They stand 
close together and support the enormous roof of marble. 
"Their strange capitals, bristling with a fantastic vegetation 
of pinnacles, canopies, and foliated niches and statutes are 
like venerable trunks covered with delicate and pendant 
mosses. They spread out in great branches, meeting in the 
vault overhead. The intervals of the arches are filled with 
an inextricable network of foliage, twining and intertwining 
all over the surface of the dome of this mighty forest." I 
secretly resolved to return after lunch and enjoy this scene 
by myself as long as I wished. I hardly need to tell you 
that I did so. 

I should like to tell you about the stained glass windows 
behind the vast choir, but it would be quite a long story. 
They are the largest and finest in the world. On one side are 
represented scenes in the Old Testament and on the other, 
incidents from the life of Christ. Illuminated by the sun's 
rays, the effect is grand beyond description. 

After luncheon some went out to Monza, some went 
shopping, others continued to ramble through the city. I 
preferred to return to the cathedral and spend an hour on the 
inside and three hours on the roof. Like the walls, the roof 




-•Y f 



INTERIOR OF MILAN CATHEDRAL. 



RTHERN ITALY. I'll 

is built of blocks of white marble, and the various levels 
are reached by staircases built alongside the buttre >ses. ( hi 

the first eh . I could not resist an express 

of s course, I knew that the space covered by 

cathredral v. ut fourteen thousand square yards, 

but the effect of the thousands oi turrets res and pinna- 

cles was bewildering. There is a beautiful marble walk 
around the entire roof under arches of marble, but some 
climbing is necessary to cross the transept. Ascending to 
■ floor by Ion hts of stairs, the revelation is 

almost numberless niches and one hun- 
dred and twenty-two spires with their more than four 
thousand marble n to the best advant; 

Take a walk over the marble shingles; the}' will not break; 
they are as large as paving stones and did net even crack 
under my weight — but I am not going to load you down 
with the exact number of pounds. I met with a misfortune 
up here on the wry comb of the roof. I had supposed myself 
out of rcacli of Mich worldly things as a kodak, but not 

l ladies from ( >hio met me and I was compelled to | 
with a hundred other saints, who looked down from their 
pinnae' ut of their niches in silent amazement, (i I 

ipany, true, and they will never tell of my surprise and 

embarrassment. At last was reached the summit of the 

i pinn. :rom whence a view grand and serene 

Up from the bU3y city comes the hum of 
commercial activity. kly the rye follows its radiating 

streets until they are lost in the peaceful plains that lie 

<nd the- city's limits. ACTOSS the plain the locomotive IS 



128 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

seen winding its way with its cargo of commerce or human 
souls. It was a quiet summer afternoon, "when all the air 
a solemn stillness holds/ 7 and save for a slight haziness that 
had dropped its frail mantle over the landscape, the view 
was sublime. As it was, the dim outlines of Mt. Viso, Mt. 
Cenis, Mt. Blanc, Mt. St. Bernard, Monte Rosa and the Mat- 
terhorn could be traced along the horizon of the southwest 
and west, while to the north towers the summit of St. Got- 
hard. To the east and south stretch the fertile plains of 
Lombardy and the distant Apennines. We turn to the north 
and fix our eyes on the summit of St. Gothard and its 
Alpine Pass, over which we are to go to-morrow. No won- 
der that a Longfellow standing on this spot above the grand 
cathedral was inspired to write his beautiful poem: 

"THE BUILDERS." 

All are architects of Fate 

Working in these walls of Time ; 
Some with massive deeds ana great, 

Some with ornaments of rhyme. 

Nothing useless is, or low ; 

Each thing in its place is best; 
And what seems but idle show 

Strengthens and supports the rest. 

For the structure that we raise, 

Time is with materials filled ; 
Our to-days and yesterdays 

Are the blocks with which we build. 



NORTHERN ITALY. 129 

Truly shape and fashion these; 

Leave no yawning gaps between; 
Think not, because no man sees, 

Such things will remain unseen. 

In the elder days of Art, 

Builders wrought with greatest care 
Each minute and unseen part ; 

For the Gods see everywhere. 

Let us do our work as well, 

Both the unseen and the seen; 
Make the house where Gods may dwell, 

Beautiful, entire, and clean. 

Else our lives are incomplete 

Standing in these walls of Time, 
Broken stairways, where the feet 

Stumble as they seek to climb. 

Build to-day, then, strong and sure, 

With a firm and ample base; 
And ascending and secure 

Shall to-morrow find its place. 

Thus alone can we attain 

T<> those turrets, where the eye 

the world as one vast plain, 
And one boundless reach of sky. 



LETTER X. 

SWITZERLAND. 

The Trip from Milan to Lucerne. The Italian Lakes. Bellinzona. Wild Bits 
of Scenery. Spiral Tunnels. St. Gothard Tunnel. Fluelen. Lake of Four 
Cantons. The Axenstrasse. William Tell's Chapel. The Swiss People. 
Lucerne. Lion of Lucerne. Arnold von Winkelried. Across the Brunig 
Pass. Height of the Alps as Compared with the Rocky Mountains. In- 
terlaken. Jungfrau and its Monster Companions. A Story of the Mer 
de Glace. Grindeiwald. Jungfrau as Seen from a Distance. 

Interlaken, Switzerland, Aug. 8. 

DEAR CHILDREN: — It has been said that the 
Alps are the playgrounds of Europe. It is but 
natural that such should be true. Centrally 
located, they are easily reached from all parts of 
Europe — only a da3 r 's ride from Paris, Berlin, or 
Rome. Within two hours, after leaving Milan, we were 
reveling in the most delightful scenery among the 
Italian lakes. On our way we noticed on every side the 
landmarks of Lombardy's historic past, moss-grown, it is 
true, and almost hidden by the overgrowth of modern civ- 
ilization. A land of rare beauty and thickly populated, it 
inspired reveries, mingling ancient and modern life, as 
their traces are mingled here in fact. At Como and Lugano 
the railway platforms were well filled with people who 
spoke the English language and wore the American flag, 
a badge which insured courteous treatment everywhere, and 
a good asking price for all trinkets. These lakes nestled 
among mountains, many of which have spacious hotels on 
their highest peaks, reached from the valley by cog-wheel 
railways, are picturesque and charming. 



SWITZERLAND. 131 

Soon after leaving Bellinzona, located high up in the 
valley which holds Lake Maggiore, the last of the Italian 
series, the railroad plunges into a narrow valley beneath 
the dark shadows of overhanging cliffs. It ib an interesting 
place, not only for the magnificent scenery with which nature 
has adorned it, but more especially because it is the 
which opens the way between Lombardy and the North. 
Before the railway was built, it is estimated that not 
than twenty thousand pack animals passed up through the 
valley annually. The ruined fortresses, though silent, yet 
i the stubborn resistance here offered to the armed 
- of the Middle Ages that attempted to pass this way. 
1 up this valley we come through circular tunnels, 
mderful 1 . the eye greeted on every side by "a 

succession of wild bits of scenery, with feathery, sn 
win*- -ides leaping from the summits of lofty cliffs, or 

bursting* forth from some cranny in their sides and 
him :h the air; brawling glacial torrents, 

hurrying over beds of boulder-. to reach the distant 

. where, apparently, inaccessible chalet- | cotta 
are stic rocks, seamed and split by 1< 

ns of nature; endless battlements ami 
wall ribbed and ancient as the sun,' and darting 

iid them all, now dis; into a 

tunnel, no ing a chasm, now skirting a precipice, are 

tling tr railway," over which we are 

borne. Such is the vivid description given by on< rver, 

and it is ii' >t overdrawn. 



132 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

The circular tunnels are fine pieces of mechanical engi- 
neering. At one point in the narrow valley, up which we 
were ascending, we suddenly dashed across the roaring tor- 
rent into the side of the opposite mountain. A few minutes 
later we emerged from the tunnel some distance lower down 
the stream, but much higher up the side of the mountain 
above the tracks over which we had entered. The grade had 
been made through a spiral tunnel cut out of the solid rock, 
and therefore as permanent as the mountains themselves. 
This process was several times repeated before reaching the 
summit of the great St. Gothard Pass, "and in some cases 
the traveler can see far below him two places, one above the 
other, into both of which the train had entered to follow its 
spiral course through the mountain rock/' The valley is 
too steep for any train to run straight ahead and too narrow 
for loops outside of the mountains. There are a number of 
wonderful loops among the mountain regions of the West, 
but I know of none anywhere else carved around through the 
solid rock. The entrance to the Grand tunnel is not so im- 
posing, and, indeed, to a casual observer it would seem that 
we might now continue our winding process and soon land 
on the north side of the ridge. But the builders have decreed 
differently, and in we go. As we enter we notice over the 
stone archway these letters, which are significant : "MDCCC- 
LXXXII." Thus we see that only eighteen years have 
elapsed since this great international artery was thrown 
open to the commerce and travel of the world. It is only 
nine miles in length, though it is the longest tunnel in the 



ITZERLAXD. 133 

world, yet its completion required ten years oi hard work 
and many millions of dollars. 

The change in the temperature was noticed as soon as 
we emerged from the tunnel. It had been very warm in 
Italy, and up to the point at which we entered the tunnel 
only the lightest-weight clothing was comfortable. Seven- 
teen minu; r, when we came out on the north side of the 
mountain, we found people with their overcoats and cl< 
about them and the air quite chilly. Even the vegetation 
showed a je of climate. 

11, on tlie "Lake of the Four Cant may 

o Lucerne by rail or by steamer, 

and a number of our party, who tl it so cold, went 

on I ,vo hours before the 

: nchant- 

• pointed arrow of a 
William Tell, and a few seconds later caught on its bosom 
ing pr 
Th m tlie ' most delightful. On one side, 

not lelen, is tl $e, the most remark- 

ad in tl rid. It is carved out of the solid rock 

ai enormous cost, [i 
made, which give it tin- appearance, as 
allery along the moun- 
tain' [s which have been built at 

'.hat have made Switzerland the 

round On the ide this star- 

shaped mountain lake is bounded by the foothills of tin- great 
Alps themselv* inl not far 1> lo* the Ajcenstra 



184 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

where, according to tradition, the unerring arrow of Wil- 
liam Tell laid low the tyrant Gessler, there is a chapel, which 
the boat passed quite near. Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus, 
with snow-capped mountains in the background, are in full 
view. You cannot imagine how beautiful and green every- 
thing looks here in Switzerland. We really had not seen 
any rain in crossing the Alps going south, with the excep- 
tion of a little thunder shower during our last night at 
Milan. There has evidently been an abundance of it here. 
In Italy everything seemed dry and thirsty, though beautiful, 
but here all is fresh and green, owing, no doubt, to the 
mountain rains, which are liable to come up at any moment 
and disappear just as suddenly. 

The Swiss people are industrious, honest, and thrifty. 
They love liberty and would die for their green mountain 
homes. Their tidy dooryards, neatly trimmed trees, and 
clean houses all speak of health and happiness. The people 
have good faces and are kind in their manner. This is old 
Helvetia, and from the days of Orgetorix the people have 
loved freedom and hated tyranny. The great masterpiece 
of Thorwaldsen, "The Lion of Lucerne," is a fine piece of 
art, and must have a wonderful influence upon the young 
people of Switzerland, dedicated as it is to the fidelity and 
valor of the eight hundred Swiss guards who defended 
Louis XVI. and the Tuileries until the last man had fallen. 
You will see an excellent picture of this beautiful and in- 
teresting piece of statuary opposite page 176. 

With such a history, it is not strange that they should 
be proud of their " Lion," which was given them by the 



SWITZERLAND. 137 

French nation. It is located in the central part of the city, 
very near the hotel at which we stopped. The old wooden 
bridge, with one hundred fifty-six pictures showing the 
history of the city, is unique, and certainly quite interest- 
ing. Almost in the center of the River Reuss is a stone 
tower, built by the Romans, it is said, and used as a light- 
house (Lucerno), which gave the name to the city. 

Four different languages are spoken here, and all the 
notices about the hotel are printed in English, French, Ger- 
man, and Italian. The French comprise about one-fifth 
of the population, the Italians, one-twentieth, and the Ger- 
mans three-fourths. The English-speaking people are their 
principal visitors and customers. A good Latin scholar 
easily gets the French and Italian. The boys and girls 
should take notice and look well to their German and Latin. 

The great organ in the cathedral, which is played every 

k-day evening between half past six and half past seven 

o'clock, is one of the attractions for music-loving visitors 

to the city. It is a fine instrument and is well handled, of 

course. Admission to the cathedral to hear the cathedral 

an is but one franc, and well worth the price. 1 dropped 

in one afternoon during our stay in Lucerne and found a 

large attendance and an excellent program. 

One selection was especially fine. It was a re- 

tion of a thunder storm, and the crashing and rolling 

thunder v.. nderful, reaching from mountain to moun- 

tain. A peculiar effect was produced, which sounded like 
falling rain ; indeed, many people I * >ked out of the windows 
to assure themselves that it was not raining. I have- heard 



138 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

many imitations of storms on pianos and organs, and as a 
rule do not enjoy them. But in this case, either the instru- 
ment is so well adapted to the composition, or the compo- 
sition to the instrument, that the effect is at once surprising 
and pleasing. The attractions about Lucerne are numer- 
ous. The lakes and mountains have vied with each other 
in making it a most delightful summer resort. One who is 
weary or languid may take any one of the numerous trips 
by boat and rest or lounge to his heart's content, but one 
whose veins are filled with active American blood may 
prefer a mountain top with magnificent views of the snow- 
capped peaks that use the clouds as mantles and defy the 
heat of the sun to remove their icy caps. Old Pilatus, Rigi, 
and a number of others, may be ascended in a few hours by 
mountain railways. 

You may remember the story of Arnold vcn Winkelried, 
who, at the critical moment in the great battle of Sempach, 
when the Swiss had failed to break the ranks of Austrian 
knights, came to the rescue. Having commended his wife 
and children to the care of his comrades, he rushed into the 
fight, gathered a number of Austrian spears together against 
his own breast, and opened a way for his countrymen, who 
dashed in and won the day. He gave his own life, but 
saved his country. Stans, the home of Winkelried, is only 
a few miles from Lucerne, a charming afternoon carriage 
drive. It is picturesquely located on one of the arms of the 
Lake of Four Cantons, surrounded by magnificent moun- 
tains, among them old Mount Pilatus himself. Here, with 
these simple-hearted people, lived Winkelried, a model of 



SWITZERLAND. 139 

courage and patriotism rarely to be found among the na- 
tions of the world. 

Mount Pilatus is perhaps the most interesting of all 
the mountains about Lucerne. Tradition has it that Pon- 
tius Pilate, when he found what had happened to Christ, 
after he had turned Him over to His tormentors, sought 
relief for his conscience on this mountain. Some people say 
that his spirit still roams over its valleys and cliffs, seeking 
rest, but finding none. However, I have not seen him on 
any of his lonely walks, and cannot vouch for the truthful- 
ness of the story. 

YYe left Lucerne on the morning train Monday and had 
a bright, clear day for our trip over the Brunig Pass. From 
Lucerne to Sarnen the railway follows a fruitful, green 
valley, one of the most beautiful in the world. The si 
the mountains, especially on the north, sloping toward the 
south, are covered with hundreds of Swiss cottages. The 
fields and gardens have a wonderfully fresh appearance, 
and are pleasing to the eye. I am very glad that we return 

,ucerne over the same route. I have never seen any - 
so pretty, sloping up toward the sky and apparently culti- 
vated to the very top. 

At the head of the valley the train is divided into three 
dons, and engines with cogs take each section, and the 
climb begins. It is not abrupt, but steady for several thou- 
sand feet. A carria 1 winds around near-by and adds 
inter :ially as many t< are to be se< n traveling 
that way. At last the summit is reached and i ' dinner 
is ready for US. What comfort it would be it' sometimes 



140 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

we could dispense with our meals, which often interfere so 
much with sight seeing. 

Immediately after dinner we began the descent and ran 
down to Meiringen, where we were again pulled by a regular 
engine to Brienz, at the head of the lake of the same name. 
An hour's ride over the clear water of this lake, the deep- 
est in Switzerland, surrounded by mountains, and we are 
at Interlaken, beautiful for location and rich in summer ho- 
tels. The hotels are crowded during the summer season, 
and some of our party were compelled to find quarters in a 
Swiss cottage annex, not an unpleasant experience, as it 
brings one a little nearer to the life of the people. 

Yesterday we made the ride around "the loop," as it is 
called. The day was exceptionally clear — we could not 
have been more favored than we were. While the ride over 
the Brunig Pass is beautiful and picturesque, this was grand, 
approaching the sublime. It was but natural for one who 
has visited Pike's Peak to compare it with Jungf rau. Pike's 
Peak is more than fourteen thousand feet high, and Jungf rau 
is more than thirteen thousand feet high. Yet Jungfrau 
is relatively higher than Pike's Peak. For it must be re- 
membered that Interlaken is less than two thousand feet 
above the sea level, while Colorado Springs and Manitou 
are more than six thousand feet above the level of the sea, 
so that while Pike's Peak is only about eight thousand feet 
above the surrounding country, Jungfrau towers more than 
eleven thousand feet above the plains on the north of it. 
The railroad ascends a beautiful but narrow valley for eight 
or ten miles, and then begins a series of quite abrupt grades 



SWITZERLAND. 141 

until the highest point, Kleine Scheidegg, is reached ; then 
it winds down again on the other side to Grindelwald. 

Standing on the Kleine Scheidegg, the highest point of 
the cog-wheel railway, one enjoys a magnificent view of the 
ice-covered giant peaks, all in a row. The Jungfrau, 

inch, Eiger, and the steep Wetterhorn, all monster 
glacial kings. All around are spread beautiful mountain 
meadows, enlivened by the tinkling bells of herds of cows, 
sheep or goats, and the whole enclosed by borders of rocks 
and glaciers. \s the dazzling light of the sun is reflected 
majestic peaks, the desire to see them at closer 
range is irresistible. A few minutes' ride on an electric car 
brings us alongside the snowfields and glaciers. On one 
side are hear! tinkling bells, on the other the occasional 
crash of the avalanche as it falls into the valley and crevas 

w. Notwithstanding these warnings of danger, no one 
ied until he has walked over the fields oi ice, looked 
down into the yawning crevices, or dropped a stone to test 
the depth. It is not safe to approach too near these yawn- 
ing cl 

A st<»ry is told of a peasant who was one day 

walking over a glacier on the side of Mount Blanc. Sud- 
denly he fell the ice giving way beneath him. He tried to 

catch himself, but failed and was soon borne down through 

one of the large crevasses thai abound. Fortunately the 
fall did not hurt him. though he found hi: surrounded by 

walls of ice, which it was impossible for him to scale. 
Without hope of escape he followed the opening in the ice 
for a long distance and most ui lly came into a lai 



142 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

open chamber. It was the most beautiful place he had 
ever seen. The brilliant light of the sun refracted through 
the prisms of ice gave to the ceiling all the colors of the 
rainbow. For a few minutes he forgot his danger in ad- 
miration and astonishment. But as the thought came to 
him that this beautifully illumined ice palace was to be his 
chamber of death, his heart sank within him. In the awful 
silence of the place he heard the splashing of a stream of 
water that ran along the side of his crystal hall. Here 
was his chance. It must come out somewhere. To remain 
was to die. To plunge into this icy stream was to shorten 
his misery with a possible chance of escape. He decided to 
risk it and with a prayer plunged into the cold water. Rap- 
idly he was carried along, in momentary expectation of 
having his head dashed against a rock. Imagine his sur- 
prise when a few minutes later he found himself thrown 
upon the green banks of the mountain stream that flowed 
through the Chamounix valley, by whose side he had lived 
from childhood up. But few who fall into these icy chasms 
have so fortunate an escape from death. 

The electric line is completed to a point about five 
hundred feet above these fields of ice and snow, but does not 
yet reach the summit of Jungfrau. We at once enter a tun- 
nel and ascend by a steep grade to the top station. The 
route is entirely inside the mountain. At the top, where the 
line ends for the present, a side aisle leads to the open air. 
There is quite a ledge here, or gallery, which forms a con- 
venient place to dump the fragments of rock, as the tunnel 
is continued up the mountain. The station is dignified with 



SWITZERLAND. 143 

a name, although it has no permanent residents. The view 
from this point is grand. Scheidegg, itself a mountain 
height, is one thousand five hundred feet below, and in full 
view, with its mountain railroad winding up on the one side 
and Jing on the other. ( )ver toward the right at the 

foot of Mount Eiger, lies a green valley, in which Grindel- 

I is located, commanding a view of these ice monarchs, 
so different from this. In fact, it would be difficult to say 
which view is the more sublime, the one from Rothstock or 
the one from Grindelwald. We will return to Scheie! 

r taking - I look from this mountain gallery and 

me our c i journey down to Grindelwald, where 

we may compare the views for ourselves. 

From the Rothstock one looks down upon a thousand 
hill- i tlie north, en do not know 

where: but from Grindelwald you look tip at bold mountains, 
rising abruptly seven thousand and eight thousand feet, 
more than a mile and one-half al >U« The longer the 

latt- : 1 the deeper the in n. At < rrindelwald 

a glacier i out between two giants and pre- 

a ma nl spectacle I r a studei I hough 

nd re among the 

reat distance, it : ; i no t as if at 

the atmosphere. We were allowed tO look 

at t 3 for i ir. What a tableau I S< did 

half hi inding up before 

uti- 
ful ' \ et 

. time. 



14-1 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

A great many people are seen everywhere we» go, 
with Alpine sticks, and bundles on their backs. If I had 
time I should like to play tramp myself for a week or two. 
There is a beautiful drive down the valley from Grindelwald 
to Interlaken, running alongside the railroad the entire dis- 
tance. A man on a wheel, placed his wife and children on 
our train and coasted down the valley for at least ten miles. 
The stops were frequent, and he would always catch up 
with the train, wave his hand at the children and go flying 
by, to be caught again by us between stations. It was great 
sport, and I think that the good-natured people on the train 
enjoyed it quite as much as they. We reached our hoteJ 
refreshed, rather than wearied, by the day's travel, a very 
different experience from those who made the same heights 
twenty years ago. One more look up the valley toward 
Jungfrau to catch the last reflected rays of departing day, 
as they play upon the snows of the mountains, and we bid 
you goodby. 



LETTER XI. 

GERMANY. 

Return to Lucerne. Simplicity of Swiss Life. Zurich. Lake Constance. Lin- 
dau. German Farm Houses. German Life. Munich. The Map of Ger- 
many. Royal Palace. Galleries. The Glyptothek. 

Munich, Germany, August 13. 

DEAR CHILDREN : — In my last letter I left you at 
the hotel in Interlaken. This is considered one 
of the finest health resorts of Europe. It cer- 
tain!} is one of the most popular spots, if we are to 
judge from the number of tourists who meet here from 
all countries of the world. The beauties of nature 
are dealt out in the most lavish manner. Jungfrau, 
the queen of the Alps, is visible from every pail 

of the city, while two lakes, from which it gets its name 

— Brienz on one side and Thune on the other — lend to it 
the charm of boating, not often found in mountain t«>wns. 
Mountain climbing, railroading, boating, and fishing are 
am< to offer. Reluctai 

• 1 the waitin uut, which bears us o'er 

the where again we make that beautiful trip over the 

ing \\a> at its height, and the toilers 

I men and women were engaged in this de- 

pation. i- did Maud Muller appear n 

than many of these "Maids of the Mi 

: showers, or frequently in a drizzling rain, they pile 

the hay on earl a pulled by i I 

with ropes around his horns, How we should like to stop 



148 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

and enter the picturesque dwellings of these Swiss farmers ! 
They have an abundance of hard work, truly, but sim- 
plicity and happiness seem to rule supreme. The house is 
a combination. Next to the kitchen are the apartments of 
the gentle family cow, and her feathery friends. Over 
this is the usual location of the guest chamber, said to be 
well ventilated and healthful. In the midst of this primitive 
form of home life, these mountaineers are happy and get as 
much real enjoyment out of life as the majority of passing 
travelers who pity them. 

While our train glides along the mountain sides and 
gradually descends to the valley of Lake Sarnen, one can 
but think of the wonderful transformation which the mod- 
ern railroad has brought to this beautiful region. No 
doubt there are those now living who can still remember 
the time when the silence of these mountains and valleys 
that today echo the shrill whistle of the locomotive and the 
merry shouts of the thousands of visitors from all lands, 
was only broken by the soft calls of the cuckoo, the lowing 
of the herds, or the melodious strains of the mountain 
player, as he lulled his flocks to sleep. But there is Mt. 
Pilatus (pardon the interruption). We shoot through a 
tunnel, wind around the lake shore and roll into the station 
at Lucerne. 

Although we have been gone but a few days, it seems 
like coming home. When we reached our hotel I had a 
rather amusing experience with the chamber maid. Before 
leaving for Interlaken I had left my laundry in her care 
and called for it on my return. She apparently understood 



XV. 



149 



everything until she came to settle. I paid the bill and pre- 
sented her with an extra franc for herself. This she did 
not understand. I tried to explain in English, but si >nly 
shook her head. I tried to use the little French I could 
command, but this only deepened the mystery. At last, in 
despair, I pointed to the bill, counted out the amount, then 
pointed to her and added an extra franc, and exci 
my own satisfaction, " ist recht, nicht wahr?" This 

broke the ice and i up the whole difficulty. " hen 

itch?" ^claimed, and proceeded to delu 

with a flow of German eloquence that [ shall not soon 

It what it all meant will air in a m 

All w: n<-w. 

rood n" 
Germany by I Zurich and Lake Co Zurich 

rming 1< ie name. A.S 

the train bear n the shore and enters the city, the dis- 

tant Alps seem to smile upon US 

■n n<» n xept in memory — ther will 

rateful 

tshorn, ince, 

hid :'; : : land and c r to 

Lindau, in Bavaria, i the kingdoms of the ( Serman Em- 

pi r the beauty of the 

in hum- I on 

ov Ft is the resting i ' ' the Rhine, 

wh< lems to stop and gather il 

rush [ rom < lonstancc to the sesL Quietly the steamer glides 

. and the ten i r twelve miles to Lindau are 



150 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

soon made. Only a few minutes are required to pass 
through the German custom house, as spirits and tobacco 
are the principal objects of search, and we are soon aboard 
the Bavarian express and on our way to Munich. The dis- 
tance from Lucerne to Munich is only two hundred forty 
miles and it makes a fair day's journey, considering the 
changes from train to boat and back to train again. 

A stranger is impressed with the differences in the 
people and their customs in going so short a distance. In 
fact, the contrasts on the opposite shores of Lake Con- 
stance, which are in sight of each other, are quite as marked 
as on the opposite, shores of the Atlantic ocean, which are 
three thousand miles apart. The Swiss cottage with ex- 
tended roof almost immediately disappears and instead we 
see the capacious German farm house. The plan of the 
structure is simple. It is a long, rectangular building, with 
great gables and extensive roof. One end generallv fronts 
toward the road and contains the dwelling apartments, 
while the barn occupies the rear portion of the house. The 
number of stories depends entirely upon the point of view. 
If the gable end is viewed, there are usually four rows of 
windows, but the side view does not often show more than 
two rows. So that we may say that the side view shows 
the house to be two stories high, but the end view four 
stories. Of course, it is often several stories, but there 
are seldom less than two attics, which we grant are quite 
sufficient. 

The kitchen, pantry, dining room, sitting room, and par- 
lors are usuallv located on the second floor ; the bed rooms 



GERMANY. 151 

arc on the third floor, while the store rooms and wood sup- 
ply are in the attic. There are many modern homes with 
charming locations, that would do credit to the banks of the 
Hudson, or the best portions of our American ci; 

Among the new and interesting features, charac 
of Germany, are the great droves of geese, sometimes 
amounting to several hundred, and under the protection of 
a boy or girl, whose duty it is to watch them. In the hay 
field* re are generally more women than men. Some- 
times women are seen working on the railroad as section 
hands — certainly very hard labor for them. You will 
naturally ask, "Where are the men?" There is but one 
answer. The young men are in the army, as required by 
law, and the oldest men are unable to work in the fields. 
rmany is a beautiful country, but suffers in c 
parison with Switzerland. A traveler should visit I 
many first. The pine j are in all sfc Jop- 

ment. from the tiny little trees of a year's growth, to the tall, 
trical timber trees ready for the woodmai 
r running at larg imon as we near the Bavarian 

capital. Tl protected by law. but not so the 

far Mr. Deer may help himself to what he 

<>r rifle. 
I), the capita] "i* the kingdom of Bavaria, 
a < ndred thousand peopl 

rren plain, which has 
littl< rowth and | rity. It may be 

n in tl 
mmunitv. V city lal 



152 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

day afternoon, August 9. It is a substantial German city, 
with a fine station, excellent streets, good hotels, splendid 
street car service, and polite treatment on all sides. The 
map of Germany has for centuries been a sort of crazy 
quilt, made up of kingdoms, principalities, dukedoms, and 
independent cities. But when King William of Prussia 
was crowned at Versailles at the close of the French and 
German war, these different parts were united as never be- 
fore. Still, they are only united for purposes of war, each 
being absolutely free to manage its own local affairs. "E 
pluribus unitm" one out of many, might be used for the 
German Empire with greater propriety even than by the 
United States ; for in most things the states of the American 
union are one and inseparable, while in most things the 
parts of the German Empire are absolutely independent of 
each other. So it happens that Bavaria is still a kingdom 
and has its own ruler. The railroads are for the most part 
under the control of the kingdom, and are managed with 
great precision. The kingdom of Bavaria is almost wholly 
in the valley of the Danube. Munich, its capital, is a much 
more interesting city than I expected to see. The parks, 
pleasure gardens, and public squares, adorned with historic 
and other monuments, would make a long list, and are 
sources of constant enjoyment to the visitor. This city, 
like Lucerne, is one of our headquarters, from which visits 
to other places are made. It is remarkable how soon we 
come to look upon a city in this way as home. Although 
we had been here but two days before going to Oberam- 
mergau, the public parks and squares had a familiar look 



153 

on our return. We cannot even enumerate the many ob- 
jects of interest noticed in driving- or walking- through the 
streets of the city, much less attempt to describe them. 

The royal palace was thrown open to us with unex- 
pected freedom, and a ramble through its ample halls and 
richly furnished apartments gave a view of royal life, which 
we had not before obtained.. The walls ar rated with 

many beautiful pictures gathered by Bavaria's somewhat 
The magnificent fi 5 from the Odvs- 

1 the Nibelungen-lied and from the lives of Charle- 
. and the Hapsburgs, are especially fine. 
inich has given considerable attention to the fine arts, and 
3 which ar- nv houses of ancient 

and modern art. Among the pictures mosl enjoyed by 

Family," Murill 
ai's '" Resurrectii n of the Virgin," Van D3 

ials, Lorain's lands 
' Titian, Corre Durer, and R will 

their fancy in the galleries of 
this city, 

[alleries is th< | Glyp- 

tothek, where the best gyptian, Greek, and 

Iati enshrined. The choicest u rl i an- 

Th "' n, Da r, and other modern sculp- 

to be found hen- in sufficient abu 

rtunity For study along the lines 
sculpture. My only in mentionin 

tiring* in ' ; nection, is to let you know where they may 

►Und. Some time you may want to know. The build- 



154 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

ing is itself a fine specimen of Ionic architecture. Ger- 
man taste has long been known, but is not fully realized 
until a visit is paid to her galleries and museums. In our 
next we shall try to take you in imagination to that remark- 
able village of Oberammergau, the land of the "Passion 
Play." 



LETTER XII. 

OBERAMMERGAU. 
Munich to Oberamraergau. Bavarian Alps. Village Accommodations. The 

Vill rigin of the Passion Play. Secret of the Skill of the Players. 

The Auditorium. The Play. The Characters. The Tableaus - lniita- 
tions for the Most Part of Great Masterpieces. The Marble Group on 
the Hillside. The Shepherd Boy and the Chapel. The Last Glimpse oi 

the Kofel. 

MUNICH, Germany, August [3. 

DEAR CHILDREN : — We have just returned from 
the now famous Bavarian village of Oberam- 
mergau, where every ten years the great Pas- 
sion Play is performed. This summer affords travelers 
in Europe the rare 1 opportunity of witnessing this strange, 

I had almost said weird, spectacle. We left Munich 

on Saturday morning and spent Sunday in this inter- 
esting mountain village. 1 have never seen a gloomier 
day than Saturday, and our hopes went down with the 
drenching rain. 

guide hooks tells us: "This is a very pleasant 

Summer journey among Bavarian mountains and la! 

But no place is particularly attractive when you cannot see 

through tiie ear window and dare not put your head OUt of 

the door for fear of getting it soaked. Our train pushed 

lly on in the face of the rain for ten miles to Murnau, 

which lies at the opening of the Ammer valley. Here we 

the main line and were backed up on the tracks "l* the 

d to the villaj 1 tberammergau. The distance 

is only eighteen miles, but it took- us fully two hours and a 

hall to COVer it. ( U\ the way it stopped raining and began 



156 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

to pour. By the time we had reached Oberammergau, 
" nestled among the Bavarian Alps," every little stream 
seemed like a muddy river, and the town looked more like 
a mud hole than a nestling bird of the mountains. A young 
man with very thin whiskers, whose growth had been forced 
beyond their ability, and heavy shoes with footless stock- 
ings, leaving ankles and knees bare, met us at the train 
with carriages to take us to his father's house, where ac- 
commodations had been provided. To keep dry during 
the transfer from the station to our quarters was out of the 
question, and soon the most whimsical dropped into a state 
of stolid indifference, frowning at first, but smiling as the 
novelty of the situation impressed itself. First, a good, hot 
dinner, bless the thought, for nothing so clears up the atmos- 
phere when one is wet, tired, and hungry. Most of us were 
accommodated by mine host, Franz Spegel, who, by the way, 
is chief money changer in the Passion Play, and not a bad 
money changer on his own account, as we afterwards learn- 
ed. Those who could not be accommodated here were 
roomed out, but came to the Spegel house for their meals. 
A number of our Columbus people had rather unique quar- 
ters, with somewhat primitive surroundings, and the earliest 
peep of dawn was announced by " the cock's shrill clarion," 
whose place of abode was by no means distant. Perhaps 
those were most to be envied who enjoyed the rare privilege 
of being the guests of "Adam," a well-known historical 
character, and had for their neighbor across the hall a beau- 
tiful, gentle Jersey cow. Her "dewy-eyed" expression of 
innocence was always a benediction as they passed in and 



OBERAMMERGAU. 157 

out. Dinner over and all settled, to see the town and catch 
such glimpses of the surroundings as the conditions would 
permit, was the next thing- in order. Think of a Saturday 
afternoon walk along the beautiful hanks of the Ammer tin- 
der an umhrella, with pantaloons rolled up over one's shoe- 
tops, and with his overcoat drawn about him, in the middle 
of August. Such was my personal experience, though the 
occasional glimpse of the Kofel and its cross was a fair 
compensation. The river is divided into small canals, wl 

in the rocks are unmixed with mud 

farther down the valley. Alongside these canals, in 

I of o . a little platform is built. Mere the 

is done in I fashioned style. The 

. which resemble the Swiss cottage style ra >re than 

the German, are located with no reference I 

or points of the compass. The shingles are generally held 

in place by Stones, instead of nails. In many instances the 

gable ends, which, in the case of the older buildings, are al- 

the from, are elaborately frescoed with Bible scenes 
and groups of saints. These fre are by no means gro- 

i show excellent taste in the mingling 
-ud fair skill in outlining form. 

ipper hour and dusk strains <>t* music 

1 in the upper part of the town. S< on a motley 

ion passed by and marched down to the theater of 

ion I 'la; " rh( re the tners 

in their m< i ing little ; 

the morrow. II r the unpretentious hand which led 

the flayed with a certainty and clearness of tone that 



158 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

showed professional skill. Such was our introduction to 
Oberammergau. 

Tradition tells us that in 1633 a fearful plague broke 
out in this highland region, so violent, indeed, that it was 
thought that everybody would die. In the village of Kohl- 
grub, only nine miles from Oberammergau, but tw r o married 
couples were left alive. The strictest measures were adopted 
to prevent the spread of the disease. But in spite of all 
this, a day laborer, by the name of Caspar Schuchler, suc- 
ceeded in entering the village of Oberammergau, where he 
wished to see his wife and children. He had been working 
in a village where the disease prevailed. Within two days 
he was a corpse. Thus the germs of the dread disease had 
entered Oberammergau, and it spread with fearful rapidity. 
In a month's time eighty-four persons belonging to the vil- 
lage had died. The inhabitants were in sore distress. They 
could not go anywhere else. In their despair they went 
devoutly to God and implored him to stop the pestilence, 
promising solemnly that they would perform the Passion 
Play every tenth year as an act of thanksgiving for His mer- 
ciful kindness. Their idea was to give a strict Biblical in- 
terpretation of the life, sufferings, passion, and death of our 
Savior. 

Although a number were sick at the time, there were 
no more deaths. Thus the plague was stayed. The play 
was first performed in 1634. The decennial period was 
fixed for 1680, we are told, and from that time down, cover- 
ing a period of two hundred twenty years, it has been en- 
acted every ten years with few interruptions. 



OBERAMMERGAU. 159 

It is certain, however, that long before the dates men- 
tioned above, these mountain peasants performed the Pas- 
sion Plav, not as an act of entertainment, but as an act 
of worship. Otherwise the vow so solemnly made would 
have little meaning. The play has undergone many trans- 
formations as the people have become more and more re- 
fined. The very ideals which the people keep before them 
while preparing for this play have had a refining influence 
upon them. The characters are selected long before the 
play is to be given, and as all are ambitious to be selected. 
for some exalted part, they try to imitate in their lives the 
tnple of the Great Master. It would be interesting for 

to read the "Legend of the Great Stone Face," by Haw- 
thorne. Ybu will see from that story how one may become 
like those whom he admires and lo\< 

So it happens that some of the rougher elements that 
formerly appeared in the Passion Play have been taken out 
and only that which really belongs to human nature i^> al- 

•d a place in it. Father Daisenberj 

forty years Wi ritual shepherd of these people, has 

don< to give the play the more delicate touches which 

it now possesses than any one else and has interminj 
mu the richest qualit 

an better study and enjoy all this by entering 
the rium and watching the scenes as th 

that I could threw upon canvas a few 
• would be surprised at the 

numl the characters, which in some cases r 

I 



160 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

which perhaps is more impressive because it is so little ex- 
pected, and at the wonderful power of posing shown even by 
the little children. 

The performance begins promptly at eight a. m. 
and closes at half past five p. m., with an intermis- 
sion of one hour and a half at noon. A great crowd is on 
its way to the theater, but there is no rush. There are four 
thousand seats, but only four thousand tickets have been 
sold. Each ticket calls for a seat, and if you have no ticket 
you cannot enter. That is all. It lasts eight hours, and no 
one is allowed to stand up. Tickets range in price from two 
marks (fifty cents) to ten marks ($2.50), and must be pur- 
chased before coming to the village. Outside is heard the 
report of a cannon, which echoes from Kofel's rocky sides 
to the other distant hills and goes reverberating dow T n the 
valley until it dies in the distance. This is the signal for 
the opening of the play. Immediately the chorus enters 
from each side of this peculiar stage, forming a semi-circle, 
with Joseph Maier in the center. 

I was glad to see him, so noted had he become in the 
character of Christ for three successive decades. His ap- 
pearance is majestic. Towering above all the rest, with his 
long gray beard falling down upon his breast, he looks like a 
prophet among his people. With stately dignity he recites 
the "Prologue" welcome, and then announces the theme of 
each act at its opening in a voice strong and clear, which 
shows that advancing age has not greatly affected his 
powers. The Oriental costumes of the singers were rich 
and beautiful, the colors blending with the blue of the sky 



OBERAMMERGAU. 161 

and the green foliage of the mountains as they appeared 
above the stage through the open end of the theater. The 
villagers had themselves made these costumes ont of ihe 
bare materia] under the direction of their teachers oi sculp- 
ture and wood carving, and in so doing- imitated some of 
the finest paintings and engravings in Europe. 

Soon the orchestra sounds the note and the chorus 
ins to sing. Full and strung sounds the chorus: 

" f demand not 

The sinner's death ! I will 
him — he shall live; 
My wii blood shall now atone for him." 

The chorus divides in the middle and gradually swii 
around toward the sides of th The curtain hack of 

the singers slowly rises and the first great tableau, " Ex- 
pulsion from Paradise," is presented. It is the universal 
expression of all observers that they have never seen tableaux 
so natural or executed with such precision. These tableaux 
form an important part of the play. They represent the 
id proph I the Old Testament, which are ful- 

filled in the New. No less than twenty of these are pre- 
Led, a number of them of the most complex sort, with as 

mai I hundred children, SOme Of them not mere than 

r < -r ji . Id, yet preserving a statu 

r. it must be remembered that this is the resul 
generations of trainii 

the peril "I of ( !hri 
entrance into ferusalem to his arrest in the garden of Geth- 



162 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

semane. As Christ enters Jerusalem amid the shouts and 
exultations of the people, one wonders where so many men, 
women, and children come from. Then Christ enters the 
temple and drives out those who buy and sell and the money 
changers, who retire with scowls and invectives that show 
vividly how deep must have been the feeling against the 
Master Himself. 

It would be interesting to take up the different charac- 
ters and discuss them at length, but we cannot do so here. 
There are four who stand out most conspicuously : Christus 
(Christ), personated by Anton Lang;; Mary, the mother of 
Jesus, represented by Anna Flunger; St. John, by Peter 
Rendl; and Judas, by Jonathan Zwink. In personal ap- 
pearance, Anton Lang, perhaps, comes nearer to the best 
known pictures of Jesus than any one who has recently been 
selected to take the part. His long, soft auburn hair falling 
down his back has quite a fine effect. In his power to rep- 
resent that patient endurance under the most trying cir- 
cumstances so characteristic of the Savior he was strong and 
won our deepest admiration. But in those places where the 
strong elements of righteous indignation are needed he was 
not what Joseph Maier must have been. Taken all in all, 
he makes a good character, and performs his part well. He 
is only twenty-five years old and will no doubt better suit 
the character ten years hence. There has been some dis- 
appointment in Anna Flunger as Mary, the mother of Jesus. 
She is only nineteen years old and does not quite rise 
to a full conception of the loving, tender, broken-hearted 
mother of the Savior, said to have been so well represented 



OBERAMMERGAU. 163 

by Rosa Lang ten years ago. The peasants themselves no- 
tice the difference and speak of it with considerable free- 
dom. Nevertheless she has a good voice and a quiet, dig- 
nified manner that at least gains the sympathy and respect 
of her hearers. Peter Rendl, in the role of St. John, does not 
have so much to say, but what he does is admirable, showing 
the faithful friend whose loving heart did not forget the 
mother of his Master after He had been crucified. He ren- 
dered his part well ten years ago, and those who heard him 
then say that he has lost none of his skill. Jonathan Zwink, 
in the part of Judas, is the best actor among them, and is 
especially to he commended when it is known that he was 
wry reluctant about taking it. He played the same part 
ten • and has tly improved, they say. 1 !e enters 

his work with the intensity of an [ago or a Shylock 
and yet at the L i n<\ t when 1 3 what he has done, his re- 

morse IS apparently so genuine that the effect Upon his 
audience is wonderful. So true is his acting that the village 
children are afraid of him and shun him when tii him 

on tl 

There are many Other characters that are Strong and 

form their par lingly well. We naturallj wonder 

where they get this power. We must remember that this 
•en enacted periodically for more than two hun- 
dred ye '■ is their special work; they have grown 
int<» it and it has becoi ' of them. immunity 
rive at excell any line for a number of 

of su] that 

will nish the world. These mountain villagers have 



164 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

given great attention to sculpture and wood carving and 
have thus fitted themselves to be good judges of position 
and form, hence the fine tableaux. 

I have not attempted to discuss the composition of the 
play. It would be an extensive undertaking to do so. I 
said that Part I ends with Christ's capture in Gethsemane. 
It keeps so near the New Testament account of the life of 
Jesus that any one familiar with that, although he may not 
understand the German language, in which the play is writ- 
ten, can easily follow it. The scene of the " Last Supper " 
was especially interesting to us because but a few days be- 
fore we had seen that great painting by de Vinci, in Milan. 
This scene certainly gives life to that picture. The posi- 
tions of the different disciples, the color of the clothes of 
each, is wonderfully true to the thought of Raphael, the 
Florentine master. 

Part II covers the trial scenes before Annas, Caiaphas, 
Pilate, and Herod, and His final crucifixion by Pilate. Here 
again tableaux are used with wonderful effect : " Joseph's 
Brethren Bringing in His Bloody Coat," "The Ram Ap- 
pointed for Sacrifice Instead of Isaac/' and others, are all 
prophetic of what is soon to follow. The Barabbas released 
at Oberammergau could not have looked less like a murderer 
than the one released at Jerusalem nineteen hundred years 
ago. 

Part III leads from the condemnation before Pilate to 
the glorious resurrection of the Lord. Such tableaux as 
" Isaac bearing the Wood up Mount Moriah," " The Brazen 
Serpent," thrown in between choruses prepare the listener 



Oi MERGAU. 165 

for the mys of the crucifixion and resurrection. Noth- 

ing m more real than the crucifixion scone. Jesus 

- compelled to hear I lis own cross, having been buffeted, 
spat upon, -mitten in the face, scourged, and crowned with 
thorn-. At length falling under the burden of the cr 

is relieved by Si non of Cyrene. When the p] 
ecntion is finally reached the curtain falls. There is li- 
the sound of hammer behind the scenes. Soon the curtain 
gain, and while the crosses on which the thi 
ced are in position, the middle one, on which the 
Chri laced, has not yet been raised. 1! 

is soon elevated. Of c we know that Lang was sup- 

ported by mean- of hooks fastened to a stn ■: which 

he wear- beneath hi ttly-fitting suit, yet supported in 

that way with Outstretched arms fur almost a half hour 
must have been very painful. The thieves had their arms 
vex the tops of their crosses and rested with a 
tfort during the scenes that followed. \ 
ix in marble <>r wood more perfect than this. 

All the detail- mentioned in the Gospels were carried out. 

er all was over the body was taken d<-wn from the 

3 in the mamuT represented by Rubens in his great mas- 

I he I descent From tin ( x< i i" to h seen in the 

athedral. 

The pla) I with a magnificent tableau, the finest 

of tl "The Vscension." \mid a scene of brilliant 

illumination and surrounded by I lis followers, the Christus 

ins to rise without any appar upport. The illusion 



166 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

is perfect. During the progress of this impressive tableau 
the chorus sings with well trained voices, full and strong : 

" Overcome — overcome ! 
The Hero hath conquered 
The might of the foe ! 

^ ^ H« H« 

Praise Him, Conqueror of Death, 

Once condemned on Golgotha." 
* * * * 

As the last strains of the chorus died out the curtain 
fell and the play was ended. One could hardly realize that 
it was after five o'clock and that eight hours had been con- 
sumed in the performance. The effect of the play I be- 
lieve to be most wholesome, affording common ground 
on which Catholic and Protestant may stand. There is 
little for either to condemn and much to be approved 
by both. The players are Catholics, of course, but 
one could easily imagine himself in a Protestant meet- 
ing. Naturalness and simplicity are the elements most 
noticeable and every step indicates the simple faith and 
sincerity of the players. At Oberammergau, the " Passion 
Play " is a devout religious service ; anywhere else, its value 
might well be questioned. 

Upon a hillside just above the village a colossal group 
of marble statues is seen, which naturally draws one to this 
spot, and we yield to the gentle influence. It represents 
the " Passion Play," and was presented by the king of Ba- 
varia to the people of the town. It is a worthy gift and will 
long commemorate the one great thought of these mountain 



OBERAMMERGAU. 167 

peasants. Just at the right stands Kofel, the ruling genius 
of the valley, whose cross glistening in the evening light is 
an object of almost superstitious veneration by these people; 
in front and at our feet sleeps the village ; while beyond 
all rise the mountains, their summits lit up by the declining 
sun. It is a beautiful, peaceful scene. Yet as one looks 
upon the white mountains below him and sees devout Cath- 
olics fall before the crucifix which forms the central figure 
of the group, an ever grateful chapel to them, he cannot 
help thinking of the 4 ' Shepherd Boy and the Chapel": 

" On the height the chapel clinging, 
Reigning o'er a vale of joy, 
Down 'mid brook and meadow singing 
Loud and glad the shepherd boy. 

Sadly sounds the bell's dvc\) tolling; 

Full of dread the burial lay; 
Now no more his glad song trolling, 

Looks the youngling in dismay. 

•rave they're bringing 

Those who dwelt down in tin.' vale; 

rd, they'll be singing 

there thy funeral wail !" 

ntered ( foerammergau in a drenching 

rain, happily tin- sun consented t<> smile upon the scene 
and to at departing a glimpse of the beaut} 

<• hills that wo shall not soon forget Peeping over the 

tern rid Ok an early train, his light clothed 



168 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

with splendor the hills and valleys, making them more beau- 
tiful if possible than on the preceding evening. Almost 
noiseless our train glided down the valley, over glens and 
along precipices toward the great German world outside. 
Though the valley was soon lost among the hills, the many 
windings gave us an occasional glimpse of the Kofel and 
shining above it the cross, with its outstretched arms, giving 
us its parting benediction. 



LETTER XII 



GERMANY AGAIN 



rland. Happy 
il Palace of The 

in the W 

rit of 

n - Vl enue. The i: ::ni n. 

Berlin, Ar S. 

DELDREN: — In my last letter I [eft you in 
the valley between Oberammc and Murnau, 

returning to Munich. On reaching our h< 

how many acquaintai s ne will 

ibly e one 

. but 
for at unexj mora 

he ; laintan 

on the morning of the [4th funich 

winds along streams and among lulls 
itiful s 

In fact, the entire j< urney 
rty mi] 

1 nortl funich, we the 

autiful, and rich. At 
into the Dan 
>wn d 



170 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

gensberg, more often known as Ratisbon. Its many gabled 
houses seen from the car windows even, were very suggest- 
ive of the olden time. Dropping down into its picturesque 
streets, lined with these tall houses, or standing by its fortifi- 
cations, one can easily imagine himself transferred back 
into the thirteenth century, when its cathedral first rose 
from the ground and became one of the leading churches 
of Germany. Long after leaving the station we could see 
its twin spires rising first above the city, and after this had 
been lost from sight above the undulating hills that fre- 
quently crossed our line of vision. What a good mark these 
must have been for Napoleon's guns ! In this city met for 
a century and a half the imperial diet, and Kepler, the great 
astronomer, breathed his last and is buried here. So while 
passing through this fruitful region one may not only admire 
the peaceful, restful scenery, but lose himself in astronom- 
ical and historical reflections. 

Entering the rugged region of Saxon Switzerland, the 
hills become more abrupt and the valleys narrower and 
deeper. Added to the variety of scenery offered by nature 
is that of peasant life as seen from a car window. It would 
be a strange sight, indeed, to see in America a wagon with 
& tongue pulled by a single horse, not as a temporary make- 
shift, but as a regular custom. Stranger still is it to see a 
plow with one handle pulled by a horse and cow. These 
were certainly unequally yoked together in utter disregard of 
Scriptural injunction. In most cases a woman was at the 
plow instead of a man as with us. Not once, but scores of 



GERMANY AGAIN*. 171 

times, I found myself repeating and keeping time with 
the motion of the train : 

*" We charged upon a flock of geese 
And put them all to flight, 
Except one sturdy gander 

Who thought to show us fight. 

But, ah, we knew a thing or two 

Our captain wheeled the van, 
We routed him. we scouted him 

Nor los ngle man." 

I wonder if you can guess what made me think of these 

lines? I will tell you. Germany is the tame goose's para- 

. if we may judge from the number of squads that we 

saw marching in goose-dike dignity across the meadows or 

drawn up in military order with outstretched I like 

1 bayonets, ready to charge upon some ,n intruder 

ourselves. Just at the right moment the boy 

held the chief command would step in between the 

threatening foes and prevent the fearful fray. But his 

gooseship, 1 prefer tins to gandership, does not always 

the hi- nd ponds and lord it over 

tion, for richl asted lie often graces the well- 

supplied table of the German ho: well as t! nan 

equently w ed near the silent windmill with OUt- 

linting ntly 

turning a which way the wind was 

blowing. Th( re truly unmistakabl rmany. 



172 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

Large towns were passed by in quick succession; finally, 
we entered a beautiful gorge through which flowed a rapid 
stream, on one side the railway, on the other an ideal road 
for wheel or carriage. Above the steep banks could be seen 
the tall chimneys of magnificent homes. Such was our intro- 
duction to Dresden, " the German Florence/' and since 1485, 
the capital of Saxony, another of the German kingdoms. 

Located on the Elbe and surrounded by charming 
scenery Dresden has long been an attraction to English and 
American families desiring to live at light expense, where 
there are abundant opportunities for culture and amusement. 
The English and American quarters are among the most 
attractive of the city. 

Among the interesting spots is the royal palace, which 
is quite home-like in appearance, and contains in the " green 
vault " the largest collection of gems, crystals, bronzes, 
ivory, carvings, mosaics, enamels, and so on, in existence. 
But I know that you would enjoy more a visit to the 
museum, which contains the finest picture gallery north of 
Italy. Many of the choice works of Murillo, Correggio, and 
Titian are here, but Hoffman's " Christ " and Raphael's 
" Sistine Madonna " were the tw r o pictures that I wished 
most to see. Standing in the midst of the doctors is the 
young Savior of the world, his face beaming with intelli- 
gence and earnestness, though only twelve years of age, 
showing the learning and wisdom of a great scholar. It is a 
wonderful picture, and I am glad to say that nearly every 
schoolroom in the city of Columbus has a copy of the pic- 
ture of the Christ-Child, and some the entire group. 



GERMANY AGAIN. 173 

The " Sistinc Madonna " is one of the great pictures 
of the world. I have already spoken of the " Madonna of 
the Chair" seen in the Pitti gallery at Florence, in which 
motherly love and childlike confidence and trust are so beau- 
tifully shown, and of which some one has said : 

" When I view the mother holding 
In her arms the heavenly boy. 
Thousand blissful thoughts unfolding 
It my heart with sweetest joy." 

!1 she looks like any genuine mother devoted to her 
child, such as may he seen in any true home. The u Sistine 
lonna," on the othei hand, seems to give us a glimpse 
into heaven. The picture stands in a room by itself. It is 
enclosed in a large gilt frame supported by a handsome 
foundation, and the figures are full size. It is indeed a 

utiful vision and purely ideal. The curtains are gr 

fully drawn aside and a countless host ^i cherubs form the 

>und. i uu of this cloudlike mist steps the mother of 

.vith the child in her arms. ( hi each side kneeling 

nt. while leaning Oil a parapet at the mother's feet 

■ beautiful boy angels, their faces full of love and 

ainted by Raphael f« >r the ( '< >m 
it Piacenza in Italy. It was br< i 1 ►res- 

i bund: by the Elector i my. 

When Frederick the bombarded the city to pr 

n Napoleon, the prince of tint 
did n* rb any of the pictui 



174 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

Dresden is a beautiful city of about four hundred thou- 
sand inhabitants, with the cleanest streets of any of the 
cities so far visited by our party .Numerous large and 
beautiful parks abound, whose grand elms lift their stately 
heads in graceful dignity above all other kinds of forest 
trees. The battlefield on which the Prussians and French 
fought in 1 813 is now a royal park of three hundred acres. 
A drive through this Saxon city was one of the most en- 
joyable in Europe. In many respects it is quite modern. 
Its magnificent railroad station is known the world over, 
almost as well as its famous chinaware. One could soon 
become attached to the city. So well had we been treated, 
that after two nights and parts of three days we were 
quite reluctant to leave its good hotel and courteous people. 
Berlin is only one hundred and seven miles away, scarcely 
two hours' ride on a fast train, so we bade farewell to Sax- 
ony and hurried on to Prussia. 

One can never visit Berlin without finding it on a 
spree, for the River Spree, one of the branches of the Elbe, 
is ever in its midst. Once the capital of the kingdom of 
Prussia, but now of the German Empire as well, the city is 
growing with wonderful rapidity. In fact, all of the Ger- 
man wealth, power, and influence is concentrating in this 
capital of the North German Empire. During the last forty 
years it has grown from six hundred thousand to more than 
one million five hundred thousand, a record shown by no 
other European capital, The extensive manufacturing inter- 
ests of the city furnish occupation for fully half of its pop- 
ulation. In other German cities one may see romantic 



GERMANY AGAIN. 175 

ruins, the peaceful abodes of legend and story, but bore are 
the evidences of organization and conquest, the monument 
left by Bismarck and Yon Moltke. Here, better than any- 
where else, the visitor may understand the modern spirit 
of the Fatherland. Everything is run with military pre- 
cision. 

As the city is entered over an elevated track, New York 

or Chicago is at once suggested to the mind of an American 

much to his own surprise. Especially to one coming 

i Italy and the South the newness of everything about 
this city of the North IS indeed refreshing. 

The effects of organization are seen at once, [n stead 

eing besieged by a long line of cabmen, an official met 
us at the train and asked our conductor how many cabs 
v needed. " Ten," he said, and ten metal cheeks were 
handed him, each bearing the number of a cab. These \ 
promptly called and loaded. Every cab in the city is num- 
bered and each must take his turn at the railroad station 
and .ut of his turn. They know what inini- 

I eaeli day, and so are only On station 
duty on those days when they know that their number is « n 

the list to be called. Soon after leaving the rail/. .'ion 

!. " ( Fnter den Linden," just 
w the I I lad we belonged to th 

should have been permitted t<> enter thn 

lace at the ' end of 

the a mi!' 

ted at tin- linden (lime) tr 

which are small and . ny comp 1 1 1 1 the magnifi- 



176 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

cent elms so abundant in Dresden. Yet over two hundred 
feet wide, with a magnificent promenade down through the 
center, and a fine drive on each side, lined with palaces and 
other imposing buildings, and adorned with monuments 
and statues, this historical street is an inspiration in time 
of peace that must be well nigh irresistible in time of 
war. Not far from this magnificent street is our hotel, thus 
giving opportunity for morning and evening strolls in the 
very center of German life. 

There are a number of beautiful drives in Berlin, and it 
would be useless to attempt to describe half the points of 
interest to be seen and visited. Most great cities have their 
crowded street which is more prominent than any other 
one ; in New York, it is Broadway ; in London, the Strand ; 
in Berlin, Frederick Strasse. The latter does not suffer in 
comparison with the others mentioned, in the crowds and 
good natured jostling during the busy hours of the day. 
Just at the head of the " Unter den Linden " is the vast 
woods or park called the " Thier Garten/' so named from 
the zoological garden located in its midst. It is kept in its 
natural state with beautiful walks and drives winding 
through it, where thousands of people go for recreation and 
exercise. Two miles long and three-fourths of a mile wide, 
there is ample room for all. Near the lower end and not 
far from the Brandenburg gate stands the great Column of 
Victory. Fretting for almost three-fourths of a century 
under the humiliation heaped upon them by Napoleon, after 
his victory at Jena, the Germans abided their time with sub- 
lime patience until the victory of Paris in 1871. In honor 



GERMANY AGAIN. 179 

of that great victory and the two preceding wars, this beau- 
tiful column was erected. There is no other object on earth 

which the French would delight so much in destroying 
today, unless it is " The Watch on the Rhine," just across 
he colossal Statue of Victory which crowns 
the column, is itself almost fifty feet in height, and towers 
one hundred and fifty feet above the pavement. From the 
top of the column a magnificent birds'eye view of the city 
is obtained, and, of course, I embraced the opportunitv thus 
ofTered. 

Facing this column and running across the lower end 
of the Thier Garten at right angles to the "Unter den Lin- 
den" is a splendid new thoroughfare called "Victory 
Avenue." It is an avenue without buildings, and will in 
1»e lined by groups of statuary representing men and 
scen< - si noted in German history. Many of these have 
already been completed, others will - • unveiled, while 

re still in the sculptor's care, many not vet begun, 
but pla< erved for all. It is an idea which the young 

Em] vh<» pays the expenses cut of his private funds, 

When all that are now planned are completed, 

; 11 outrank the Appian way in monuments and the Lion 

of I • in it- ns <>f patriotism. The royal palace 

the places which must not be slighted, because 

d modern that it stands in marked contrast with 

:s "f tli- S( >uth. So perfectly are the 

that i -nt dread ling 

headlong at the p. II lias 

any r> [amity of this 

kind by furnishi \ ; -ii larere 



180 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

enough to slip over his shoes. Thus shod, the journey 
through the halls is made with safety and comfort, though 
not with the most graceful movements. What a blessing 
to humanity it would be if some of our American halls, 
the glossy smoothness of whose floors produces a chill in 
nervous people more noted for stoutness than agility of 
movement, were thus provided. It would serve as a nerve 
tonic to the timid, would produce confidence, and would 
not detract in the least from their reputation for grace in 
motion, always so well established. 

There is so much in and about Berlin that is interesting 
that it will be impossible to tell you half in a brief letter. 
However, you w T ill not be satisfied without a drive out to 
Potsdam, " the Versailles of Prussia," and the country res- 
idence of her kings. Every spot is in some way associated 
with Frederick the Great, whose name is dear to America 
as well as Germany, because of his friendly attitude toward 
us in the early days of our republic. The palaces located 
among wooded hills and lakelike expanses of the river, are 
numerous. Frederick the Great, was peculiar in most 
things, rigid in his habits of life, blunt in manners, and spare 
in personal appearance. He reminds us very much of our 
own blunt, lean Andrew Jackson. He often used his slouch 
hat for a night cap, we are told, slept on a plain hard bed, 
and always rose at four o'clock in the morning. His favorite 
palace was Sans Souci, which means " without care," and 
his nearest friends, his dogs. Walking around to the back 
of the palace, our attention was called to a few small 
mounds, carefully guarded — these were the graves of the 



GERMANY AGAIN. 181 

great man's favorite dogs. I have often thought that when 
a boy, Prince Bismarck must have admired the character 
of Frederick and must have looked to him as his model, 
for he, too, was a man of iron will and very fond of dogs. 

One of the interesting things about Potsdam is the old 
historic windmill. I wish you might see a picture of it. It 
had become somewhat dilapidated and Frederick wished to 
buy it and tear it down. But the old miller refused to sell. 
Finally the king tried legal proceedings, but was unsuc- 
cessful in this. He so admired the courage of the owner 
that he turned about and gave him money enough to enlarge 
and improve his mill. It is now an excellent model of its 
kind, and is greatly admired by visitors and carefully pro- 
tected by royal favor. A few years ago when its present 
owner, a descendent of the original, became financially em- 
barrassed, Kaiser William hearing of it sent him money 
enough to relieve him, saying: "Never dispose of that 
property. In your family it is a part of Prussian history/ 1 

Another interesting spot in this old city of the kings 

is the Garrison church, which contains the tomb of Frederick 

Great. Some very interesting things have occurred 

about the great king's sepulchre. On November i.|. [805, 
at midnight, Frederick William III, Queen Louisa, and 
Alexander, Czar of Russia, here clasped hands and pled] ; 
themselves to the overthrow of Napoleon. Jus1 one 
later, on the same day <>f the month. Napoleon entered the 
chamber of tin- same tomb. So hasty had keen the Prussian 
Bight that the sword which Frederick had won in tin- Seven 
Years 1 War had, been left lying on the warrior's casket. 



182 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

Taking it into his hand, Napoleon exclaimed : " Gentlemen, 
this was one of the greatest commanders of whom history 
has made mention. If he were alive today, I should not be 
standing here." 

We must now return to Berlin, only sixteen miles away, 
where we shall remain over Sunday. On Monday morning 
we start for Frankfort on the Main (mine) and the region 
of the Rhine. 



LETTER XIV. 

GERMANY — CONTINUED. 

Departure of Graf Waldersee to Take Command of the rimes in 

China, i rlin to Frankfort or. .in. The Land of Martin 

M\ Wartburg. S ration of the Flee Cities 

under the Empire. Frankfort on the Main. Growth of the German Em- 
pire. Heidelberg. The Castle. Mannheim. Maycnce. "Fair Hingen on 
the Rhine." An Interesting Ride in a Row Boat. The Mouse T< 
The Watch on the Rhine. 

Bingen ox the Rhine, August 2 

D.R CHILDREN : — In my last letter I left you at 
Berlin and promised to write you when we had 
reached the region of the Rhine. We have s 
of tl rful military ion with whicl 

rlin. I railroad 

the sieral rule. It i> this training which 

brought Pr and placed her at 

d of the German Empire. Even now the martial spirit 
lost in nan mind. We w< r r unate 

in ' Berlin within a few minu 

ils to China to take command of the 
alii- and All to 

ilized worl 

at • train [eft at h 

mornii r 1 lam 1 i bout 

The 
n as hi ' out of the 



184 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

of the best wishes of his countrymen, and we, as a part of 
the civilized world, joined in that good will. Ten minutes 
later when our train pulled out for Frankfort all was quiet. 
The run of three hundred and thirty-eight miles to the south- 
west is through an interesting part of Germany. We cross 
the early home of the ancient Saxons, whose blood min- 
gled with that of the Norman French, has made the English 
people. 

Almost every town is in some way connected with the 
life of Martin Luther, from Wittenberg on the Elbe to 
Worms on the Rhine. He was born and died at Eisleben, 
sang in the streets of Eisenach, studied at the University of 
Erfurt, lived in Wittenberg where he also taught, and was 
really imprisoned in Wartburg castle by his own friends. 

We passed through a number of these places made 
famous by being associated with the life of this distin- 
guished character. 

Wartburg is a very old castle, built in 1070. At its 
feet stands the picturesque little town of Eisenach and not 
far away the village of Eisleben, mentioned above. The 
story goes that Louis the Springer while out upon a chase 
chanced upon the mount on which the castle stands, and, 
struck with its beauty, cried : "Warte, Berg ! Du solst noch 
eine Burg bekommen." Hence the name "Wartburg." 

The University of Erfurt, which stood at the head of 
the German universities of the fifteenth century, opened 
to students in 1392, was chronologically the fifth, but in 
number of students, first. It was sometimes called "The 
German Bologna." An adage of the time was : " He who 



GERMANY — CONTINUED. 1 s ") 

would study well must go to Erfurt." The city, while not 
ranking as a free town, was ambitious and enterprisin 

-Coburg is under the sovereignty of a duke — 
from whom descended Prince Albert of England. It is 

I with Gotha, through which we passed, forming 

with it a constitutional monarch}', and is a member of the 

German Empire. Saxe-Coburg is one of the Luther places. 

I here for a while and sent from here some of his 

most beautiful letters. We at last reached Frankfort on 

the Mam, one of the so-called " free cities," of Germany. 

We ha ady spoken of the map of Germany as being a 

sort of crazy quilt, composed of a number of kingdoms, 

and dukedoms. There were also a number of 

" free cities M which became independent when Germany 

fell ' in the thirteenth century. A little informal 

on tl int may not be OUt of pla 1 -hall try to 

atements brief, but as clear ble, so 

i will understand them, it* you read slowly, and think 

! think that you already know how ki 

. and dukedoms may become parts of an 

I unite so 

ted them- 

', and fear, I - ither great • ; but 

I how tie part 

1 remain free ; one w< add naturally 

and to be 

This . hat has hap- 

• will - 



186 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

These " free cities " were divided into two classes : 
those standing in direct connection with the empire, yet 
forming sort of independent republics, were called imperial 
cities (Reichstadte) ; and those which, while owing some 
allegiance to temporal princes, had yet conquered for 
themselves and secured a large measure of self-government, 
were called free towns (Freistadte). Prior to the year 1801 
Germany possessed one hundred and thirty-three Reich- 
stadte. Among these were Frankfort, Friedberg, and Op- 
penheim. Some of the Freistadte (free cities) were 
Cologne, Basle, Mayence, Spires, and Worms. 

Subsequently the free towns were placed on the same 
footing with the Reichstadte, and the term " Freistadt " 
was dismissed. The period of the greatest splendor of 
these towns was in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. 
Each one was governed by a council, the members of which 
were called Rathsherrn, and this council chose from its own 
members a president called Rathsmeister or Burgermeister. 
These cities gained great wealth and power. Education and 
the arts flourished. They formed themselves into confed- 
erations (Bunds), in order to have a voice in the affairs of 
the empire. Foremost among them were the Rhenish and 
Suabian Bunds and the ITanse towns. In the sixteenth 
century approaching decay became manifest and the Thirty 
Years' war almost ruined them. They still continued to 
exist, however, until the great Napoleon came. He wrested 
from all of them their privileges — even from Frankfort, 
Lubeck, Hamburg, and Bremen. But in 1815, when Napo- 
leon's empire fell, these latter towns regained their freedom 



GERMANY — C< >NTINUED. l s 7 

and were members of the German Bund (confederation) 
up to the year 1866. Hamburg and Bremen were the last 

of the free cities ; all finally merged in the empire. 

our best geographies truthfully says: "No 
mtry in the last quarter of a century has expe- 
rier ich rapid growth as Germany. For example, in 

the twenty-five years preceding' 1895 her increase in popula- 
tion was over eleven million, while France had an incre 
of only two million five hundred thousand. The empire 
spondii in in wealth. 

'Undoubtedly the strong central government estab- 
;, and with it the laying aside of the petty 
that paralyzed industries, is cue cause of this 
advj . there are many other causes, of which one 

t influ< >n and the encouragement 

-. child by law to atl 

fid at; is given to the study of the 

ign pr< -ducts. Ian 

in the development of elect r" 

cr. the young emperor himself ; one 

the movement. It would not 1 >ris- 

the firsl O 'iiiiiry in which trains 

wil Ired miles, or m >re, an h< >ur. 

■ I in l : ifficient 

tnportance in history. Ii 1 ived many 

r< 'in ih- irlemange in 

:n I. F( v five hundred j 

1 ... peror re el 

ted with the life of th r at poet Goethe, whose old 
lo 



188 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

home is still standing, while Schwanthaler's monument to 
him shows in what esteem he is held by the people of the 
town of his childhood. 

The run from Frankfort on the Main to Heidelberg on 
the Neckar, a distance of fifty-five miles, was through a well 
cultivated and thickly populated region, much of which is 
very fertile river-bottom land. Both rivers are tributaries 
of the Rhine. 

By far the most interesting of all German ruins is 
Heidelberg castle, located on a rocky height above the city 
of Heidelberg. It is sometimes called the " Alhambra of 
Germany/' and indeed was one of the grandest strongholds 
erected during the Middle Ages. With walls twenty feet in 
thickness, it was able to resist every attack for more than 
three hundred years. But notwithstanding the medals struck 
by Louis XIV, " Heidelberg is destroyed," the noble old 
ruin still speaks, after the lapse of two mo-re centuries, in 
language more eloquent than words. Kind nature has 
thrown her mantle of ivy about the walls, as if to shield them 
from further harm. 

As we enter the great courtyard we are struck with the 
variety of architecture displayed — it was not the work of 
one generation or of one age. The sculptured kings and 
warriors that look down from the historical facade are still 
admired by the thousands of visitors that pass through the 
court every year. 

Viewed from the castle and from the winding road as 
one descends to the valley, Heidelberg, the seat of the 
famous university, presents a charming sight. It is evident 



GERMANY CONTINUED. 191 

from the plain buildings of the university that architecture 

alone does not make a great institution of learning*. The 

soul of a university is its faculty — the learned body of men 

who inspire its students to work, investigate, discover, and fix 

. The city is as renowned for its history as for 

a institution of learning. A stroll through its parks 

shows its people to he a degree higher in culture than those 

of most cities visited. Here and there are monuments 

I to the memory of some distinguished citizen to 

mark the spot where s< me important event connected with 

- taken place. Reluctantly we gathered 
at the station to take our leave of this great center of Medi- 
er, where we should be glad to linger for a week 
and ramble at will. 

From Heidel ran directly down the Neckar to 

Mannl here it flows into the Rhine. Changing ears 

keep on the east side of this historic river until 

it at Ma;. German, Mainz.) On the way 

and domes of Worms . • five miles 

lections d leading 

held in 1 52 1 . but even 
rick Barb; belonged to 

•led with the men* 
ring city i Mibelungenlied, so fully ; 

in Munich and mi- 

M-! my. 

A- imp here, and 

is built 



192 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

a large part of which is still in use. On the citadel there 
still remains a monument, forty-five feet high, erected by his 
soldiers in honor of Drusus. Many have been the sieges 
and conflicts that have taken place here. But, after all, 
the greatest contribution given to the world by this city of 
the Rhine was the invention of movable types in printing, 
first used by Gutenberg in 1443. Although Caesar, Charle- 
magne, and Napoleon have all been here, left their marks 
and filled the world with their fame, yet this simple-hearted 
man, almost unknown while he lived, has been a greater 
benefactor to his race than all the military heroes. It is 
true that he died in want and friendless, yet it must be 
remembered that Caesar had his Brutus, Napoleon his St. 
Helena, and the kingdom of Charlemagne was divided. All 
Europe contributed to the monument of Gutenberg designed 
by Thorwaldsen, the great sculptor, and which adorns the 
chief public square of the city. Were the call to go forth 
now, the entire civilized world would contribute to the fund. 
Ten miles below Mayence is Bingen, " Fair Bingen on 
the Rhine." It was our delightful experience to spend a 
night and parts of two days in this picturesque little city, 
made famous by the "soldier of the legion," who "lay dying 
in Algiers." No matter whether looking upon the "Mouse 
Tower" near the junction of the Nahe, or at the ruins of 
Ehrenfels across the river, or up at the national monument 
near the top of the Niederwald, one finds himself repeating : 

" Tell her, the last night of my life 
(For ere the moon be risen, 



GERMANY CONTINUED. 193 

My body will be out of pain. 
My soul be out of prison.) 
I dreamed I stood with her and saw 

The yellow sunlight shine 
On the vine-clad hills of Bingen — 
Fair Bingen on the Rhine! 

M I saw the blue Rhine sweep along, — 

I heard, or seemed to h< 
The German songs we used to sing, 

In chorus sweet and clear; 
And down the pleasant ri\a 

And up the slanting hill, 
The echoing chon-.s sounded, 

Through the evening calm and still. 

"And her glad blue eyes were on me. 

ed with friendly talk, 
Down many a path beloved of y< 
And well-: • -red walk, 

And her little hand la\ Lightly, 
afidingly in mine : 

But we'll -en, — 

I on the RhiiK 

Perhaps no spot better illustrates what is meant by the 

vine-clad hills Rhine than the many views t<» be seen 

n. ■ hillsides are literally I with 

!>« >m I ' . ery 

hiii 1 ! in the most substantial 

manner - t to twent) f h, pre- 

Oft< as f < >rtv 

unit 



194 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

of the mountains, for they are really more than hills. Fre- 
quently the vineyards thus formed are not more than twenty- 
five feet wide. Sometimes a ladder, but more frequently 
stone steps, leads from one terrace to another. Certainly 
this is cultivating grapes under difficulty. However, it is not 
the work of any one generation. Little by little it has been 
done, until the final result is indeed wonderful. The grapes 
thus raised are said to be the finest in the world. 

After supper, in company, with two Columbus teachers 
and a lady from Springfield, O., I started out for a row 
across the river. Perhaps if we nad had some experience 
beforehand we might have been wiser. " Can you take 
us down by the l Mouse Tower ' and across the river to 
Ehrenf els and back again before dark ?" we asked of a boat- 
man. " Jah," was his reply, and a bargain was struck. 
Two men took charge of the boat and out we pushed into 
the turbulent water. But instead of going directly toward 
the desired point the boat was headed up stream, and we 
soon saw that the boatmen had all that they could do to hold 
their own against the current. Finding that we should not go 
near the Mouse Tower we protested, but to no effect. We 
could only get "Nein, Nein," from our boatmen between 
vigorous pulls at the oars. When in more quiet water they 
explained that the Mouse Tower is now used as a powder 
and ammunition storehouse, and visitors are positively for- 
bidden. We half suspected that as twilight had already 
fallen they might fear the dead bishop or living mice more 
than government officials. 



GERMANY CONTINUED. 195 

A story is told of Bishop Hatto, who once resided here 
and during- years of prosperity had filled his barns with 
grain. In time, a famine came upon the land and many 
peo; rved to death. They knew that he had plenty of 

grain and in their distress earnestly begged him to save them 
from starvation. Wearied by the frequent calls of hungry 
people for something to eat, one day he locked a multitude of 
women and children in one of hit barns and set it on fire. 
" There," lie exclaimed as he saw the flames ascending, 
[ have burned up a lot of miserable rats who were good 
for nothing but to eat corn." Soon one of his servants came 

running to tell the bishop that thousands of rats were coining 
that way. Filled with terror, be hastened to the tower ami 
fastened up every door, hole, and window. He thought 
himself safe, but not so : 

And through the walls by thousands they pour. 

" In at the windows, and in at the door, 
****** 

They have whetted their teeth against the stones, 

And no* they pick the Bishop's bon< 

****** 

r story of the row l 
trip the Rl We did not fully realize our predica- 

ment until we ha side Of the river and 

driven some distance below the 
<»i" the current . The n i >f 

i.tly <i ; d in English, which did not 

i ur l atmen. I tae 



196 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

taking a strong pole from under the seats, rigged up a mast. 
He then took a long rope, one end of which he 
secured to the boat, the other he passed through a deep 
groove in the top of the mast and then tying the loose end 
of the rope around his body, he jumped ashore. As soon 
as he had gone far enough ahead, the other boatman got 
into the boat again, and pushing it out into the river by 
means of his oar, which he now used, to guide our frail bark, 
struck a rock which caught our vessel and held it fast. Thus 
we began to slowly ascend the stream. It was a novel ex- 
perience to be thus drawn by " pullman" power. We should 
have stemmed the current with entire success had we not been 
threatened with shipwreck. It became evident that it would 
be necessary to lighten our cargo. Gentle hints were passed 
around that I was the Jonah who had brought this bad 
luck to this sea-faring party. Accepting what could not be 
helped, I dashed boldly overboard. No whale came to my 
rescue and I sank into a foot or more of water before reach- 
ing the distant (?) shore. Thus relieved of part of its 
cargo, strangely enough, the boat glided safely over the 
threatening rock. Soon we were aboard again and pro- 
ceeded up the river as fast as our " engine " could walk. 
After passing the city lights, our second oarsman came 
aboard and we launched boldly out into the stream again. 
We soon landed in safety at Bingen. Though our little 
trip had taken fully two hours more than we had expected, 
yet it was an experience which each one will long remember 
and recall with pleasure. 



GERMANY CONTINUED. 197 

Standing opposite Bingen is the German national monu- 
ment. The Xiederwald, the wooded hill, on whose brow it is 
located, is nearly a thousand feet high. The monument itself 
stands seven hundred and forty feet above the river. To 
reach it a morning boat was taken to Rudesheim, from which 
point a mountain railway runs to the monument. We were 
rather fortunate in choosing our time, as a body of young 
soldiers, twenty-five or thirty in number, who had just been 
graduated from military school, made the ascent on the 
same car. They were accompanied by their officers and, 
standing in front of the monument, gave us a number of 
among them the " Watch on the Rhine," 
the noble words of which the sculptor has engraved on the 
face of the monument next to the river. The " Watch on 
the Rhine," as it is called, commemorates the German vic- 
tories in the Franco-Prussian war. It is a fine piece of art, 
the majestic figure of German ia being thirty-five feet in 
height. Et commands a magnificent view up and down the 
Rhine and s the hills of the northwest toward France, 

over which it keeps an ever wakeful eye. At our feet is 
; heim, rich in wild legends, many of them insj ired, per- 

. by the rich wines so abundant. Standing nearby 
are of a Roman fortress which nas defied the 

elements for nearly nin< :enturies. Across the river, a 

lingen, fair city of the valley, sur- 
rounded by beautiful i vine-clad hills. In the 

i ( ni ri ; ii, a swift businesslike 

handise m its 
black forests and gathering 



198 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

strength but not width from its numerous tributaries it goes 
plunging to the sea mid castle-crowned hills and rock-bound 
shores. So bidding farewell to Germania and her bronze and 
sculptured heroes, we return to Bingen, to be drawn into 
the current of the river and borne down mid its ruined 
castles and rugged hills, the abodes of legend and story. 



LETTER XV. 

THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 

Down the Rhine to Cologne. The Vine Clad Hills. Coblenz. Ehrcnbreitstein. 
Cologne. The Cathedral of Cologne. Aix-la-Chapelle. Brussels. V. 
loo. Antwerp. A Climb to the Top of the Cathedral Spire, l.ird's Eye 
View of Antwerp and the Scheldt. Ghent. Lille. Roubaix. Calais. 
Boulogne. 

Boulogne, France, August 27. 

DEAR CHILDREN: — Travelers down the Rhine if 
they go by boat usually start from Mayence. 
Through the courtesy of our conductor, we were 
allowed to start from Bingen instead, very much to our sat- 
isfaction. At eleven o'clock A. M. the steamers Wilhelm, 
ser and EConig majestically drew up to the wharf 
and took us all aboard. Soon we were drifting on, borne 
by the swift current by Mouse Tower, Ehrenfels, Bach- 
arach, and ( )berwesel. Sweetest music filled the air and 
from shore to shore, for we had on board a 
ndid German band. In some places the echo is all 
pert There is always someone on board who is 

willing arry out the old joke of the German stu- 

dent out at the right place, " Vas isl der Bur- 

: Oberwesel?" that is, " Who is the mayor of 
Oberw promptly the hills respond, " Esel," which 

meai n ( foerwesel and St is the 

of Lorelei. It is located at a point where the 
river ra arp bend, [t is said to have been the al 

who lured the careless boatman to destruction. 
But doubtless tl ams of the locomotive which g 



200 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

dashing through its tunneled caverns and the coarse threat- 
ening tones of the steamboat whistle have frightened these 
spirits away. However, the passage would be incomplete 
without the song of the " Lorelei," and we rounded the sharp 
turn to strains of music that would do credit to the finest 
concert. 

You have doubtless been wondering how with the swift 
current mentioned, heavy boats are able to ascend the river ? 
It is not an easy task. There is a great cable in the bottom 
of the river which is caught by the heavy freight boats, 
passed over a wheel made for the purpose, and securely held 
by other pieces of necessary machinery in motion, and thus 
the vessel literally pulls itself up, as we would say in climb- 
ing a rope — " hand over hand." We met dozens of ves- 
sels ascending the river in this manner. 

On we glide mid vine-clad hills to St. Goar. We had 
passed not less than a dozen old castles and ruins if we may 
judge from the number of places marked " Schloss " and 
" Ruine," on our little German map of the river. Some of 
these have been restored and occasionally the little Amer- 
ican flag somewhere displayed shows the presence of our 
countrymen abroad who are rather proud of the silken 
emblem. 

As we neared St. Goar pier everyone who was familiar 
with the traditions of the place kept a sharp lookout for St. 
Goar himself. Although he lived years ago, yet he per- 
formed a few such remarkable miracles that it would seem 
quite within his power to rise from the dead and resume 
his old occupation of baptizing people in the river. His real 



THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 201 

occupation was that of a boatman, and he ferried people 
back and forth across the Rhine. 

is that he sometimes left his new converts 
in the water to get out the best way they could or go direct 
to paradise. ( to one occasion, it is said, that a man who 
had thus suddenly been baptized, died in the water. On 
the following night the spirit of the drowned man appeared 
:• and thanked him for thus securinj lim the 

joys of heaven. 

We might tell you of the castles of the two brotl 
had lived in peace and happiness until both fell in love 
with the same maiden. Neither brother would yield his 
:.i. One day they met on the ledj :n the - 

Fell in i mbat. 

•n ruii S a ma: 

fortifications in the days of their prosperity. 
Loc; ' n the two highest 1 of the same ri they 

some feudal lord of the n 
and | by an underground | 

' them were taken 1>\ army, it would 

ithdraw to the other and renew the fight 

Or d -din to the ma alls 

tlSfc in. 

d with th Silver Bell." 

At the junction of the Moselle with the Rhine 

n the of the "Id Roman town of " Con- 
n lI( than eight en hundr 

OK " ih« • to divide 

n them hi 'It has a beautiful lo- 



202 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

cation, and at the end of the park, where the rivers join, 
stands an imposing monument of Emperor William I. Just 
across the river is situated the mighty citadel of Ehren- 
breitstein, the " Gibraltar of the Rhine/' It is colossal in- 
deed, able, it is said, to hold eight thousand men and pro- 
visions for ten years of siege, and yet protect itself with 
hundreds of great cannon and thousands of needle guns. 
Rising four hundred and fifty feet above the river and city, 
it presents a formidable appearance that would be most 
threatening in time of war. Imagine all those guns belch- 
ing forth in their fury, what death and destruction would 
follow such action ! , 

From Coblenz to Cologne there are a great many ruins, 
-castles, modern mansions, and resorts. Perhaps the most 
noted spot is the Drachenfels, or Dragon's Rock. It 
is the highest of seven elevations known as the Seven 
Mountains. As our boat floated by on that beautiful 
afternoon we could not take in the glorious view which its 
summit is said to afford, but we could look up at the old ruin 
clearly outlined in the bright blue sky of the northeast. Those 
who had good eyes could see small figures moving among 
the ruins. Colored parasols and friendly umbrellas showed 
that there were visitors on the mountain. As these slight 
discoveries were announced, some of my companions gently 
hinted that I had broken over my custom and had been 
drinking of the " Dragon's Blood," but other eyes soon made 
the same observation, and my reputation for sobriety and 
veracity was saved. Of course, there are a number of good 
legends connected with the mountain. According to tradi- 



THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 203 

tion, many centuries ago, a monstrous dragon lived in a 
cavern near the summit of the rock. Descending every day, 
he became the scourge of the region. The people were well- 
nigh distracted with terror until the hero Siegfried, who has 
been immortalized in song and story, came to their relief 
and slew the monster. After we had passed the rock, we 
could see the iron monster puffing his way to the top from 
the north side, this seems to be the only dragon of the region 
now. 

Wagner, who has woven into his " Xibelungenlied, ,, 
so many of the northern myths, was not the only musician 
of Rhineland. At Bonn another master felt the thrill that 
stirred his emotions and electrified the world. It was Bee- 
thoven, who is to music what Shakespeare is to literature. 
ither of them needs his christian name to identify him. 
; t i ful story is told of Beethoven that goes to show 
truly great <»r talented men are not above the conn 
r selfish in the use of their talents. It was under this 
kindly. impulse that the great composer first impro- 

ved " Moonlight Sonata/ 1 adding quite \ 
h to hi name as to the pleasure of his enraptt 

blind li But the story. 

: i ful moonlight evening, just a few days before 
the great musician v ne, he was 

ith a Friend through a 

" they v by a little, 

humble dv of a pian< out on the 

still air. " Hush!" said Beethoven, "what sound is that? 
It is from my & Hark I how well it is played. n 



204 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

There was a sudden break in the finale, when a sobbing voice 
exclaimed : " I can not play any more. It is so beautiful ; it 
is beyond my power to do it justice. Oh, what would I not 
give to go to the concert at Cologne I" 

This appeal coming out into the stillness of the night 
was too much for the kind hearted musician. He resolved 
to gratify her supreme desire. As he gently opened the door 
he said to his friend : " I will play for her. Here is feeling, 
genius, understanding! I will play for her and she will 
understand it." 

It was indeed the humble home of a young shoemaker 
and his blind sister. 

" Pardon me," said Beethoven, " but I heard music and 
was tempted to enter. I am a musician. I, also, overheard 
something of what you said. You wish to hear — that is — 
shall I play for you?" The young girl blushed while the 
young man apologized for the wretched condition of the 
piano which was out of tune, and said they had no music. 
" No music !" exclaimed Beethoven, then he discovered for 
the first time that the young lady was blind. With 
profuse apologies for seeming to have spoken so abruptly, 
he desired to know how she had learned to play so well by 
ear. When he heard that she had gained it all by walking 
before the open window while others practiced, he was so 
touched that he sat down and played to the most interested 
audience that he had ever entertained. Enraptured they 
listened. " Who are you ?" exclaimed the young man. 
" Listen," said he, and as the sublime strains of the " Sonata 
in F " filled the air, their joy was unconstrained. Seldom 



THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 205 

is it given to man to have such appreciation. The flame of 
the single candle wavered, flickered, and went out His friend 
opened the shutters and let in a flood of moonlight. Under 
the influence of the spell, the great composer began to impro- 
vise. Such a hold did his own music created for the occasion 
take upon him that he hastened to his room and worked till 
after the dawn of morning reducing the great composition 
to writing. It is his masterpiece, the Moonlight Sonata. 
Thus he found that it is indeed " more blessed to give than to 
receive." and in giving he received m< re than he gave. 

Associated with Bonn are other celebrated nar. s: 
Niebuhr, the historian : Schlegel, the philosopher; Arndt, the 
poet. Like Athens, Rome, Stratford-on-Avon, and Flor- 

. Bonn may well boast of her men. more even than of 
the renowned university that stands in her midst. 

The mountain- haw fallen behind and we have en- 

n country. As the boat follows the wind- 
the river, the Cologne spires, more than five hun- 
dred high stand apart, then appear as one. and finally 

i. We are at the pier and our VO] ended. 

rly two thousand years it has been 
dividing line between the Roman and the Teuton, the 
n and the German. The two civilizations during all 

Ear and no farther. I [istory, 

ad dashing waters are all combined in a trip down the 

Rhine It s to have a personality. Born in the Alps, 

d in I onstance, where it prepare its life 

rk, it then f< >i two contending 

11 



206 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

civilizations and preserves the individuality of each. Well 
may Byron say : 

" The river nobly foams and flows, 

The charm of this enchanted ground, 
And all its thousand turns dislose 

Some fresher beauty varying round; 
The haughtiest breast its wish might bound 

Through life to dwell delighted here; 
Nor could on earth a spot be found 
To nature and to me so dear." 

Sometimes not inappropriately called the " Rome of the 
North," Cologne is rich in ancient history. The name itself 
is of Roman origin, having been taken from Colonia Agrip- 
pina, who was born here, the daughter of Germanicus and 
the mother of Nero. While here, Hadrian received his sum- 
mons to Rome as emperor. Vitellius and Silvanus were both 
proclaimed emperor in this remote northern camp on the 
left bank of the Rhine. Evidences of age are not lacking; 
parts of the old Roman wall still remain together with the 
old towers that mark the limits of the ancient fortress. But 
the mediaeval remains are far more quaint than the ancient. 
These are seen in the dark and narrow streets and old houses, 
many of which date from the thirteenth century, and in one 
of which Marie de Medici died in exile and poverty. In the 
new parts of the city, the streets are wide and handsome. 
It is a fine combination of the ancient and the modern sepa- 
rated by the Middle Ages. 

Approaching the city of Cologne the twin towers of the 
great cathedral are the objects of greatest interest that 







COLO. 



THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 209 

attract our attention. This building is the most complete 

piece of Gothic architecture anywhere to be found. It 

was begun in 1248 and completed in 1880. Its foundation 

antedates the discovery of America by two hundred and 

years, and the Turkish empire by fifty. Still, the work 

mpleted until our own age, more than six hundred 

years after the foundation stones had been laid. Its two 

antic towers lift their heads to the sublime height of five 

bun ml twelve feet, just the length of the cathedral, 

while the height of the transept also corresponds to its length. 

Yet so symmetrical are the different parts that one does 

r alize their height until he attempts to measure the 

distance. I should like to have spent a few hours on its 

ers and on the roof, but time did not permit me to do so. 

ntered the station at Cologne to take the train 

for surprised and greatly pleased to meet 

ral Columbus friends, who joined our party as we 

through the custom house on the frontier and 

I Bel ium's capital with us. The run from Cologne 

t<> i Is is through a beautiful country rolling to pictur- 

- «ne places, but at the end becoming quite level. 

well-trimmed hedges, fine roads, and luxuriant vegeta- 

la I !hapell< •• ere especially charming. [ 

'■ if it appeared ful when Charlemagne re- 

n a thousand y< Ai that time 

pita! of all the country lying north of ti 
3 have the historical associations of this city, and 

, twenty seven I ierman emper- 
To be quite sure thai we had touched the soil of the 



210 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

old town, a number of us hastened to get out of our com- 
partment at the station, run to the edge of the platform, and 
jump off on the soft green sod that grew near the edge. 
Whether it was the condition of the atmosphere or the 
beauty of the scenery, never did roads create a greater desire 
for a good wheel ride. The treaty of peace between France 
and Great Britain which settled the French and Indian war 
was signed here in 1748, causing the old city to figure in 
American as well as in European history. 

Soon after leaving Aix-la-Chapelle we bade farewell to 
Emperor William's domains and entered the realm of King 
Leopold of Belgium. Unless very well posted, the traveler 
is surprised at the size of many of these Flemish towns. One 
of the most interesting is the city of Liege, in which Scott's 
" Quentin Durward " is supposed to have lived. The river 
Meuse runs through the city and picturesque hills and val- 
leys surround it on all sides. The number of weapon fac- 
tories and workshops which it contains has led Americans 
and English to give it the name of the " Sheffield of Bel- 
gium." Liege is larger than Columbus and Springfield com- 
bined. 

Entering the city of Brussels we find ringing in our 
ears the words of that vividly descriptive poem by Lord 
Byron, " The Battle of Waterloo." It begins : 

"There was a sound of revelry by night, 
And Belgium's capital had gathered then 
Her beauty and her chivalry, and bright 
The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men." 



THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 211 

All seemed promising*, indeed, as the sun went down on 

the evening' of our arrival, and impatiently I awaited the 

n to see the great battlefield of Waterloo. The dawn 

came and with it the rain. So Waterloo was reluctantly 

abandoned, as it meant a drive of twenty miles through rain 

and mud. Should I ever again spend a night so near this 

turning point in the world's history I will stand on the 

mound which marks the hardest fighting of the battle, if it is 

necessary to wade through mud and snow to do so. It is not 

so much what one sees at the time that he visits such a place 

that makes it so interesting, though as we have said this is 

realizing- history, but it is what he can bring home with 

him and recall with action whenever he reads a book 

or a paper that speaks of the history which was made there. 

sperous city of five hundred thousand people, 

divided into the upper and lower city. It is quite cosmo- 

polit m in its character, and both the French and Flemish 

spoken. ( )n the hill are the palace, the park, 

temple of justice, which covers more ground 

than St. Peter's i I Rome, and lias already cost more than 

hi million four hundred thousand dollars. The booming 

rloo are not the only ones which have dis- 

trales. I rrible period of Spanish 

rdments of the seventeenth 

re not to I en. 

'I'b is the best in Belgium, but is not to 

with others though the worl s of the 

— Rubens, Rembrandt, and Van 

no means insignificant; on the contrary, 



212 RECENT GLIMPSES IN' EUROPE. 

they have their points of excellence equaled by few others. 
We have said that both the French and Flmish languages 
are spoken here. The city is located on the border line 
between Walloons, who are of French descent, and the 
Flemish who are akin to the Dutch in appearance and dia- 
lect; in fact, Belgium is a part of the old Netherlands or 
Low Lands, of which Holland is the principal portion. 

It is only twenty-seven miles from Brussels to Antwerp 
and we pass through Mechlin en route. This is the religious 
capital of Belgium and is the place where the fine Mechlin 
lace is manufactured. The Spaniards, the Prince of Orange, 
and the English have frequently sacked and burned parts of 
the old city. 

Antwerp was for many years the real queen of the Low 
Lands. Quaint and rich in historical associations, a num- 
ber of days could be spent here in constant enjoyment. The 
one thing in Antwerp that interests the visitor most, is, of 
course, the cathedral There are two pictures here which 
attract hundreds of people to the city every year: "The 
Elevation of the Cross " and " The Descent from the Cross." 
The latter is the model used by the peasants of Oberammer- 
gau in one of the scenes of the great " Passion Play." They 
are the great masterpieces of Rubens, and yet differ in grace 
and beauty, sufficient!}^, as it seems to me, to show marked 
progress in the ideals of the artist. In the first, the figures 
are muscular and clumsy in appearance; in the latter, there 
is much more grace and symmetry of form. However, the 
bell tower is, aside from these pieces of art, the greatest at- 
traction about the cathedral. It has for centuries command- 



THE RHINE AM) BELGIUM. 213 

ed the admiration of the world and was compared by Na- 
poleon to a piece of Mechlin lace. 

climb to the top of this old tower, four hundred and 
'it, was one of the most enjoyable, aside 
from that at Milan, which I have had during our trip in 
nd as it is the last, will in all probability be longest 
remembered. The view over the Scheldt, fairly crowded 
with commerce though not to be compared with what it 
been in the days of the city's greatest prosperity, 
and - die low countries reaching from Brussels to the 
ansive and suggests many of the romantic stories 
in Antwerp's history related by Motley in lus "Dutch Re- 
public." Here, better than in any steeple which I have i 
climbed, may be studied the complicated machinery nee 

sary to operate a lar em of chimes. These ring every 

n and a half minutes and strike with mathematical ac- 
curacy and always on time, as they are connected with the 
When the vn^\ of an hour is reached ninety- 

nin< ilvery I end forth their joyous 

ladder ' rs of two hundred and fifty thousand 

a quaint old hotel facing the 

squai thedral. It wa> my good fortune 

ard the "Id cathedral t<» 
and whei enjoy its soft melody which, far from 

had a most soothing effect, 
p to B 
• .-! presented the great riety 
of an-, da) of railroading that we have had. 



214 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

Although but two hundred and two miles across, no less 
than four changes were made. Our train first ascended the 
Scheldt to Ghent, a city of one hundred and fifty thousand 
inhabitants, which stands on twenty-six islands, connected 
by eighty-eight bridges. Not only is it known as the old 
capital of Flanders, but it is intimately connected with the 
history of our own country in that the treaty between the 
United States and Great Britain which closed the "War of 
1812" was signed here in 1814. 

As we have said before, the size of some of the towns of 
this region surprised us ; for instance, Lille has a popula- 
tion of about two hundred thousand, while Roubaix, a 
woolen and cotton manufacturing town, has eighty-five 
thousand. They are out of the ordinary lines of travel and 
were in a sense new discoveries to most of us. The frequent 
changes, the inevitable baggage at every change, kept every- 
one alert and in action. Fast trains, slow trains, good cars 
and poor ones, afforded sufficient diversion for our last day 
on land. Our final change was at Calais, which for two 
hundred years was under the English crown. Between 
Calais and Boulogne the chalk hills of England across the 
channel, only twenty-one miles away, came frequently into 
view. We had often read of these, but had never seen them 
before. They reminded us that the day of our return was at 
hand, and that the delightful tour, so well planned and car- 
ried out, was at an end. Life is made richer by such experi- 
ences, the remembrance of them always affording delicious 
food for thought. As one sees the different nationalities in 
their own countries he recognizes more fullv the brother- 



THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 215 

hood of man, lives in a broader atmosphere, and has a 
deeper feeling of charity and kindness for those of other 
lands. The more he sees of foreign lands the more he loves 
his own and rejoices in the fact that he is an American. 

When we entered the hotel at Boulogne, all had been 

^ned to their places, and I found that the number of my 
room was thirteen. The offer was kindly made to change 
me if I had any superstitious fears about the number. I 

red the gentleman who made the offer that I had none, 
and when I tell you that I slept without waking for nine 
hours, you will probably ask for the same room when you 

to Boulogne. Indeed, it is well worth a visit. Located 
in sight of England, surrounded by picturesque hills, and a 
part of the city inclosed by a wall still in good state of pres- 
ervation, it od point from which to begin a continental 
tld the quaint old cathedral gives a rich foreign flavor 
at 01 for home. Perhaps the happiest gentle- 
man in ar conductor. I le has safely conduc 

. hundred and sixty miles of 

• •I b) rail without accident of any kind or the !<>>> of a 
ir on account of sickness of anyone. With the 

>f thos -ide trips and expect to 

very member of the party IS here and in 

tlth. ( >-ir joun rtainly shows what can be 

done in th( of travel during a short summer vacation, 

tnents have been fully completed before hand, 

the r fully Studied, and the plans faithfully carried 

We h \ew rl on the sixth of Septem- 

-n the seventh, when our journey will 



216 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

be completed. Besides the sights seen and rests enjoyed in 
many places, the following distances will have been covered 
in a period of eleven w T eeks : 

Railway, United States 1,524 miles. 

Railway, Europe 4,400 " 

Rivers, Lakes, Channels and Streams 260 " 

Ocean Steamer 6,200 " 

Total 12,384 miles. 

After all, the average is only a little over eleven hundred 
miles a week, or about one hundred and sixty miles a day. 
When we consider the fact that a part of this travel was 
made at the rate of a mile a minute, and a great deal of it 
at forty miles an hour, the time consumed on the road has 
not been as great as the distance would seem to Indicate. 

Though the cost may be limited, and the time required 
for such a tour so short, yet all can not travel. Happily 
the number of books published, the fine cuts and pictures 
so abundant, and the excellent copies of the masterpieces, 
bring the stores of knowledge of the old world and its art 
treasures within the reach of every fireside. This makes it 
possible for all to enjoy an acquaintance with the richness 
of nature and the wealth of galleries and museums which 
thousands of travelers do not understand or enjoy because 
they have not prepared themselves for it. 

So often have we spoken of the value of a bird's eye 
view, that it would seem very fitting in closing this series 
of letters to take a retrospect before saying a final goodby. 



THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. -17 

Lowell has told us that many look, vet but few see. There 
is something back of the eves that has much to do with 

our seeing. Travelers are often like the gods of the 
.then: "Eyes have they, but they see not/ 1 that is, they 

understand. What we enjoy depends so much upon 
our know taste, training. 

It is interesting to watch a party of travelers, and to 

hat appeals to the attention of each one. Some will 

- rbed in such minor matters as dress; some will spend 

all their time, if Opportunity is afforded, in watching the 

p win' their arrangements, etc.: some are 

lool customs of the people, their habits of busi- 

i livin e want to see art only, and to them 

are the paradises of the old world: some are 

looking for places of literary and historical associations, — 

to t; Tuidical remains, old Roman roads, mosscovered 

. and crumbling castles are most enticing: ethers will 

nd days and weeks according to the amount of reading 

ch they have done, in studying the architecture of the 

athedrals, monuments, and decaying temples of an- 

— certainly a most fascinating study: the botanist 

noti plant and flower : tli> I >gist, the 

mounts ers, and rock formations; but the student 

of humanity is interested in everything, for him, the old 

world is a fruitful field for observation and thought. lie 

titer into that detail which the specialist shows, 

with i rience his mind is broadened and his 

rt enlarged. Happy tin- trawling companions who have 



218 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

studied the same things, love the same scenes, and have 
the same purposes in life. 

To the American, England is especially attractive. The 
same language, similar institutions, and a like love for 
individual liberty soon put him and the Englishman on 
friendly terms. One does not easily tire of London, — so 
big and good natured is she that her welcome seems large 
enough for the whole world. But even London has grown 
since last we saw her a few years ago. Her population has 
wonderfully increased, not at the rate of a Chicago, or even 
of a Columbus, to be sure, while modern methods are much 
more noticeable now than formerly. England is naturally 
conservative, and yet she is gradually introducing the lat- 
est discoveries and inventions into all her industries. A 
very decided improvement is being made in the British 
railway system and other means of transportation. 

Next to the teeming life of the Thames comes the 
Seine, whose banks have held a conspicuous position in the 
modern history of Europe. Paris is ever brilliant, ever 
gay, ever wide awake. No one knows when the city sleeps 
for the sound of revelry is always heard. Still this is not 
a happy, contented life. In time it will exhaust the strength 
of her people and leave them a prey to the strong. A 
World's Fair, such as that of 1900, will not be repeated 
again in this city for, perhaps, a quarter of a century, so 
that it has been a feature in foreign travel during the past 
few months. 

Formerly, we had pictured in our own imaginations the 
grandeur and beauty of the Alps, but a real vision of her 



THE RHINE AND BELGIUM. 219 

ged mountains, frozen rivers, and beautiful lakes and 
valleys will remain as a permanent possession frequently to 
be recalled and re-enjoyed. 

Sunny Italy, so much like our own country in climate 
and productions, will never be forgotten. The 7: Eternal 
City," which has figured so largely in the history of the hu- 
man race; Naples with its old Vesuvius, so terrible in what- 
it has wrought, y< - grand and impressive; Florence with 
its gems of art and sculpture ; Venice, the "Queen of the 
unique in its streets and peculiar methods of 
transportation; Milan, surrounded by the plains of Lom- 
ly, enclosed by the "everlasting Alps on the one side 
and the nnines on the other — all of these have entered 

into our experiences and become a part of our lives. 

The village of ( tiberammergau, surrounded by charming 
is always interesting. The plays which are fre- 
quently performed there by the mountain peasants, are reve- 
to the outside world. But it is only once in ten years 
that pi 1 ie from all parts of the civilized world to 

witness the performance of the "Passion Play." This 
their I masterpiece. We were fortunate in being in 

Europe at the right time. Not only were we impressed with 
US spirit of these people, and the picttir- 
of their mountain homes, but their skill as ad 

and in bringing .»ut spectacular effects was especially to be 

admired. All of this shows what can be accomplished 
by having a definite aim and constant practice in one 

direction. 



220 RECENT GLIMPSES IN EUROPE. 

Gladly would we repeat our brief stay in Dresden and 
the German capital, but anxiety to see our own country 
again, to greet our friends and dear ones, and to resume 
our duties makes it impossible to do so. One more glance 
at Rhineland, with its terraced hills and dashing river, and 
we are ready to say, farewell. Yours truly, 




INDEX 



i'AGE. 

Aix-la-Chapelle 210 

56 

:ie on the Ocean .... 9 

Amerigo Vespucci 97 

>ng Pinnacles and 

Statues 127 

Antwerp 212 

Antwerp Cathedral 213 

lo Belvedere 75 

. of Triumph, Par:- 42 
of Triumph, 

Rome 79 

Arn alley of . . 

An. Winkelried. . 138 
►f 1 [umbert 

II. L01 

. the 133 

Bast :ce de la 11 

Bav. 

L53 

Moonlight 



LSI 

:i 171. 175, 

• m the l . . L92 

• - 1!C) 

' Boulogne 42 

. : 102 



. : •• 215 

27 

•':* . \ 118 





Brussel . . . 210 



PAGE. 

Builders, the 128 

Bulwer's "Last Days 

Pompeii" 93 

Byron, quoted, 10, 72, 206,210 

Calais 214 

Campagna 59 

Campo Santo 55 

Capitoline Hill 7:' 

la 88 

Carrara 75, 97 

. English 

ral High School, 

Columbus 

Champs Elysees 42 

lenz 201 

Cologne 206 

Cathedral 209 

— cum 

mmencement Day" of 

an ocean steamer 7 

a >rde, Place de la, 88, 48 

( / tnstantine 80 

•.' the .Ups 

sing the Apennines. . 102 

jing tin- Channel . . . "- 1 

sing the I Danube .... 169 

tal Palace 81 

>m l [< >uses 

Dante 97 

id, Stati 

;<ni< ma . II- nir of . . in 

1 Dieppe 

■ T land . . 9 

led 216 

of the .... 118 

lee 172. 171 



222 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Drive through Paris , a . . 37 

Eddystone Light House. . 21 

Egyptian Obelisk 71 

Ehrenbreitstein 202 

Eiffel Tower 36 

Elgin Marbles 27 

English railway trains . . 23 

Erfurt, University of ... 184 

"Eternal City" 59 

Excavation, Pompeii ..91, 92 

Exposition, Paris 46 

Floating Community, a . 11 

Florence 87, 97 

Florence Cathedral, .... 94 
Florence, cities of the 

dead 100 

Fluelen 133 

Forum, Roman 76 

Forum of Trajan 60 

Frankfort on the Main . . 187 
Frederick the Great,tomb 

of 181 

Frederick Strasse 176 

Free Cities of Germany . 186 

Galileo 99 

Garibaldi, Statue of . . . . 62 

Geneva 52 

Genoa 55 

Geography and travel . . 1 
Germany, changes in map 

of 152 

German farm houses .... 150 
German Empire growth 

of 187 

German life 151 

Ghent 214 

Giotto 94 

Grand Canal 104 

Greater London 21 

Greenwich 32 



PAGE. 

Grindelwald 148 

Hadrian's Tomb 68 

Hannibal ....53, 55, 88, 94 

Happy Goosedom 171 

Heidelberg 188 

Height of Alps as com- 
pared with Rocky 

Mountains 140 

Herculaneum 91 

Historic rivers 2 

Houses of Parliament ... 31 

Interlaken 140, 147 

Italian lakes 130 

Italian Ministers 118 

Janiculum Hill 84 

Jungfran, 141,144 

Jura Mountains 51 

Kofel, last glimpse of . . 168 

Lake Constance 149 

Lake of Four Cantons . . . 133 

Lake Geneva 52 

Land sighted 15 

Laocoon 76 

"Last Supper." picture of 

the 122 

Lausanne 51 

Library, Public School, 

Columbus, 79 

Lido, sea bathing 115 

Lille 214 

Lindau 149 

Lion of Lucerne 134, 177, 179 

Lombardy, trip across . . 116 

London, how to see it . . 24 

London Tower 23 

Long Bridge, the 103 

Longitude and Time .... 14 
Loubet, president of 

France 42 

Louvre 43 



INDEX. 



223 



PAGE. 

Lucerne ..134, 147, 148, 149 

Luxembourg 43 

Mainz 191 

Mannheim 191 

Mayence 191 

Mer de Glace stc v ol . . 141 

Michelangelo 97 

Milan .... 116, 117, Md, 130 
Milan Cathedral .... 121, 123 
Militaire, Place de la... 42 
Military spirit of Ger- 
many 175 

Milton, John, incident of 99 

Modane 54 

Monza 118, 121, 124 

Mouse Tower 194 

Mt. Cenis Tunnel 53 

Mt. Vesuvius 91, 93 

Munich 151, 153, 1G9 

Naples 87, 93 

National Art Gallery ... 27 

Natural History 15 

Night ride to Rome 58 

Ith River, the 8 

rammergau, 166, 156, 157 

Old Prison 80 

ride on top ... S3 1 


loa 

I 76 

de la Ti o. . 46 

:i. tin- <il 

:i -1'i 

growth of 

Bl 





The Play 160, [64 

rinm L60 



PAGE. 

Secret of Skill 163 

Tableaus 161 

Marble group, hillside. 166 

Pigeons, Venice 104, 107 

Pilgrims 15 

Pincian Hill 62 

Pisa 58 

Pistoja 102 

Place de Bastile 41 

Place de la Concorde, 38, 43 

Place de la Militaire .... 42 

Plymouth 1 , 17, 21 , 22 

Pompeii 87 

"Pontifex Maximus". . . . 68 

Pope Gregory the Great . 68 

Potsdam 180 

Preparation for an ocean 

journey 7 

"Quo Vadis" 80 

Realizing History 3 

Retrospect 216 

Rhine, to Cologne 199 

Rialto, the 114 

Ride on the Seine 47 

Roman Forum 7(5 

Rome 58 

Rothstock 143 

Roubaix 2M 

Row-boat ride on the 

Rhine 194 

San Ambrogio . r >(; 

Santa Maria AfagglOH 

R< me . . 00 

Santa Maria Delia Gra- 

/ie. Milan 1JJ 

narola 97 

Coburg 185 

n Switzerland 17<> 

QJ . Royal Palace of 17'J 

Idt, view of 218 



224 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Scilly Islands 15 

Seine, valley of the 35 

Septimius Severus 79 

"Seven Hills of Rome/' 

the 59 

"Sheperd Boy and the 

Chapel" 167 

Shylock, house of 114 

Sistine Chapel 75 

Sistine Madonna 173 

Southern England 34 

South Kensington Mu- 
seum 27 

Spiral Tunnels 132 

St. Ambrogio 121 

St. Ambrosia 54 

St. Angelo, Castle of 68 

St. Denis 47 

St. Mark's, Venice 110 

St. Mark's, column of 113, 114 

St. Mark's, sauare of . . . 109 

St. Paul's Cathedral .... 31 

St. Paul's, outside the 

walls 83 

St. Peter's 71 

St. Theodore, column 

of 113, 114 

State Rooms , the 12 

Steamer, decks of the . . 11 

Stoke Pogis 23 

Stratford on Avon 31 

Swiss life, simplicity of . 147 

Swiss people, the 134 

Tell's Chapel 134 

Thames , ride on the 32 



PAGE. 

Thier Garten 176 

Tiber, valley of the 93 

Time at sea, how spent . . 15 

Trasymene, Lake of 94 

Travel, value of 2 

Trocadero, Palace of . . . 46 

Turin 54 

"Unter den Linden" .... 175 

Vatican , the 75 

Venice 103 

Venice, bell tower ..109, 110 

Venus de Milo 44 

Verona 116 

Versailles 45 

Vespucci, Amerigo .... 97 

Vessel, our 10 

Victory Avenue, Berlin . 179 
Victory, monument of, 

Berlin 179 

Victory, Winded 44 

View from Milan Cathe- 
dral spire 124, 127 

Vinci, Leonardo de 97 

Waldersee, Graf, depart- 
ure of 183 

Wartburg 184 

Watch on the Rhine .... 197 

Waterloo 211 

Westminster Abbey 28 

Wild bits of scenery 131 

Windmill, the historic . . 181 

Windmills 171 

Windsor Castle 24 

Zurich 149 



0*5 3] 1901 



DEC 21 1901 



lC0PYDEL.T0CfT.DW, 
DEC. 21 1901 



